The FA know our feelings about playing in Ryman One North, says Binks

CHATHAM TOWN boss Steve Binks urges fans to ditch Champions League football to watch their real team in action tomorrow night, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Medway outfit moved further away from the Ryman League Division One North drop zone with a crucial 2-0 home win over struggling Witham Town on Saturday - and they will go level on points with Great Wakering Rovers if they beat another Essex side tomorrow.

But Binks, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk tonight, before attending a committee meeting, says the club will suffer financially, especially with Champions League football on the box.

He knows that gates at Maidstone Road have already plummeted like a stone this term, due to The Football Association switching the club from Ryman One South to the less-supported Northern equivalent.

Only TWO of their 29 league games have attracted crowds of over 200 this season - and both were against Enfield Town.

Saturday’s game against second-from-bottom side Witham Town attracted a crowd of just 123, and Binks knows the club would attract far more if they were playing in their correct division, against fellow Kent sides.

With an average gate of 147 this season, Chatham Town are the third best supported club in the division - although gates have plummeted 16.3% compared to last season.

However, if Chatham were playing in Ryman One South, the club would be in fifteenth place in the attendance pecking order.

“In terms of gates and travelling, yes, obviously we’d get more gates against the local sides and our gates have suffered because of that,” bemoaned Binks.

“There’s always a prospect of getting three or four gates of around 300 or more (in Ryman One South). Our biggest gate this year was 203 against Enfield Town and I think it won’t get much better than that.”

When asked if the club are considering to prompt The Football Association about a move, Binks doesn’t hold his breath.

“You can’t do that, it’s down to the League committee’s to calculate the structure,” he said. “I think they know our feelings, we’d rather be (in Ryman One South), but it’s out of our hands. We don’t have any choice in the matter.”

With his side now 16^th place in the table, Binks knows his side are still not safe from the drop - despite being 13 points safe.

“I don’t think we can say we’re safe,” he said. “There’s a couple of teams that have got to win five more games than us.

“Witham and Waltham Forest are trying to strengthen before the end of the season. I think Hillingdon are doomed, but the other sides are battling for their lives.

“We’ve done the double over Witham and we’ve got Hillingdon to play Saturday (away), so we’ve got a few six-pointers but we’re looking up the table rather than down and really trying to build and plan for next season.”

Binks added he was pleased with his side’s performance as two quick-fire goals from former Slade Green striker Lee Barnett did the damage.

“It was a very good, well organised, solid all-round team performance,” he beamed. “We were rarely troubled after a scrappy opening ten minutes.

“I think we dominated the game throughout from then on, kept our patience, 0-0 at half-time and then two goals in a minute from Lee Barnett, 2-0 up and looked comfortable. We didn’t really look like conceding really.”

Binks revealed he has no player concerns ahead of tomorrow night’s game, adding, “We got a good draw up there a little while ago and a little bit unfortunate not to get a win out of the game.

“We’ve got players coming up to full fitness now, a good selection headache (to have) at the moment.”

Visit Chatham Town’s website: www.chathamtownfc.net

Chatham Town v Great Wakering Rovers
Ryman League Division One North
Tuesday 24^th February 2009
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Maidstone Road Sports Ground, Bourneville Avenue, Chatham, Kent ME4 6ES