THE BIG KICK OFF: Thanet sides aim to upset Premier giants - EXCLUSIVE

Friday 17th August 2007

Thanet sides, Ramsgate and Margate, open their Ryman Premier League campaign’s with mouth-watering games tomorrow, writes Stephen McCartney.

In the red corner, Jim Ward takes his side to AFC Wimbledon tomorrow, whilst Robin Trott’s Margate, welcome another giant, Chelmsford City, to Hartsdown Park.

And both would love, and are capable of, upsetting the apple cart, against two big-spending sides.

“It’ll certainly get the pulse rate, your heart rate going,” Ward said of their opening game at AFC Wimbledon, speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

He added: “I imagine they will be close to a sell-out tomorrow, but we are what we are Stephen, they’ll be giving us as much respect as everyone else.

“If they don’t give us the similar respect back, we’ll beat them!

“I know all the boys are looking forward to it, and me and my coaching staff are.”

Ward urges his side to take the game to the Dons, in front of a packed Kingsmeadow, and do what they’re good at doing best - upsetting the big boys!

“We’re renowned for it, that’s what we are,” said Ward. “We’re just honest, we’ll shut them down, get at them, we play a bit as well.”

The Rams play their first Kentish derby of the season on Tuesday night, when east meets west, as bogey side, Tonbridge Angels arrive at Southwood Stadium.

“The big thing is we’ve got four games,” explained Ward. “I like to treat everything as four games and the target out of these four games, is to get eight points.

“In that group of four games, they're are four interesting games.

“Obviously away at AFC (Wimbledon), and then a local derby Tuesday against Tonbridge Angels at home, and then at home on Saturday against Leyton, one of few teams to do the double over us last year.

“And then obviously, (on Bank Holiday Monday) we go down to my mate, Neil Cugley, at Folkestone Invicta.

“All sorts of different tests in there, but the plan is there, to get eight or nine points, which will more than delight me.”

Ward revealed that Lee Minshull, who excelled in the middle of the park last season, serves his one-match ban tomorrow, and that he’s going to patch up, and play, Ollie Schulz and Ashley Burton, although the pair are nursing thigh and hamstring strains respectively - Shaun Welford also sits out for first four games.

And manager Robin Trott has issued a rallying cry to all Margate fans ahead of their showdown against Essex giants, Chelmsford City at Hartsdown Park tomorrow.

Trott will be without Jay Saunders, whose suspended, for their opening game, but Trott is keeping his team selection close to his chest.

“We’ve got Jay Saunders suspended, which is a blow,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk on the eve of the big clash.”

“They’ve done their homework (on us) and I don’t want to give them a head start,” as he declined to give his team-news.

But Trott wants a four-figure crowd to flock through the turnstiles at Hartsdown Park, and explained what the Blues are going to serve up.

“Hopefully free flowing football, with plenty of goals,” he said.

Trott is disappointed with the crowds during pre-season and hopes they will increase tomorrow.

He said: “Crowds have been disappointing this and last season. Hopefully we will bring entertaining football, and we done that last year and I would have thought we would draw some fans back.

“But over the past five years, the crowds have got smaller, which is a shame.”

Visit club websites: www.ramsgate-fc.co.uk & www.margate-fc.com

AFC Wimbledon v Ramsgate
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 18^th August 2007
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Kingsmeadow, 422a Kingston Road, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey KT1 3PB

Margate v Chelmsford City
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 18^th August 2007
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Hartsdown Park, Hartsdown Road, Margate, Kent CT9 5QZ

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