We've told the chairman we're staying here, says Sittingbourne boss Gary Abbott

Thursday 27th January 2011

MANAGER Gary Abbott says he is staying at cash-strapped Kent club Sittingbourne, writes Stephen McCartney.

There were fears that Abbott and his number two Richard Brady would quit the club following the decision from chairman Andy Spice to pull the budget 100% - but the pair are staying put at Bourne Park after the positive reaction from their players.

Only two, striker Tom Bradbrook and defender Lawrence Harvey have jumped ship, signing for Margate and Maidstone United respectively.

But Abbott is pleased that the rest of his players have pulled together, playing football for the love of the game and not for financial incentives.

“To be honest, it’s been brilliant,” said Abbott, surprisingly. “Obviously Tom’s gone, Lawrence has gone to Maidstone, I’ve released Joe Horlock, but I can’t fault the boys.

“The last two games, we’ve won at Walton and we should have won last night at Met Police. We’ve given them a goal with a bad back pass from Joe Dowley, which has given them a goal, but apart from that, second half we were all over them. We should have got a penalty, we had a goal that was three or four inches over the line and the referee hasn’t given it!”

Abbott, who handed much-travelled goalkeeper John Whitehouse his debut for the 1-0 defeat to now leaders Metropolitan Police last night, added, “The togetherness in the changing room now is unbelievable to be honest with you.

“They’re all youngsters now. We’ve brought a couple of youngsters in from Dartford - we’ve got no choice, we had to do that.

“Everyone of them have been brilliant, they’ve come in. The keeper (Matt Burt, who played against Walton & Hersham) came in, he’s eighteen and I’ve never seen him play before and he’s done a job for us and we had a couple in last night and looked just as good and didn’t look out of place.

“If you was there at the game last night you would have wondered how we got beat - we never scored in the second half but it was like the Alamo and we was all over them. I can’t ask for much more from the boys!”

Abbott has reflected on the situation at the club, adding: “It’s been a couple of weeks now since the money’s been pulled, but it just shows you they’re not here for the money. They weren’t getting a lot anyway, everyone knows that!

“We’ve all stuck together and if they don’t want to be here - they can go!

“I’ve had a couple of issues with a couple of players but that’s all been sorted.

“The changing room now is the best it’s been. We’ve given two good sides a good game and if you asked them, Met Police were lucky to beat us last night.”

Sittingbourne welcome fifteenth placed Worthing to Bourne Park on Saturday and club secretary John Pitts wants stay-away fans to flock through the turnstiles to show that they still care about their home town club.

He said: “Let’s get a big crowd to the game to show that Sittingbourne really wants a senior football club.”

Due to the financial circumstances at the club, Abbott has eased the pressure on his players when it comes to fighting for a play-off place.

“To be honest, we ain’t even mentioned it now,” said Abbott. “We’re just going to go game by game as we’ve lost three or four players.

“If we played like we did last night and on Saturday I think we’ll win the majority of games and we’ll see where it takes us and if it takes us to that fifth spot then brilliant. But if not, what’s been going on, we’ll want to try and stay in the top half.”

When asked about his own future, Abbott insisted: “We was never going to resign! The only way we were going to resign was if the players turned round and said ‘we’re not going to play because I want money and there’s no more here’, but that’s not the case.

“We’ve told Andy (Spice) we’re staying here. What’s the point of going and not having a job in football? We’ve got a job in football and we’re going to stick it out.

“We just hope something happens in the summer, if Maidstone come back or if we get a couple of sponsors but that’s just a waiting game.

“Me and Braids (Richard Brady) are here to stay and hopefully things can get sorted out and we stay here as long as we like really. We’ll get on with it and carry on with what we’re doing.”

“We’ve just had two tough games and if we play like we did like the last two games, which no doubt we will do that because the boys like to express themselves, we’ve got no pressure on us at all, the pressure is all on the other clubs.

“Worthing have been a little bit up and down as well and we’re going to go at them and get three points on Saturday and then play Faversham on Tuesday night.”

Sittingbourne’s local rivals (Faversham) have climbed about them into seventh place in the Ryman League Division One South table, but that could all change at the end of the game.

Abbott said: “Hopefully we’ll get a bigger crowd on Saturday as a lot of people are saying they didn’t realise how bad it is down there, so hopefully we get a good turn out and if we can pick three points it takes us nicely into the Faversham game on Tuesday.

“Faversham are on a good run at the minute and it’s all on the night and hopefully we can perform.

“I don’t like saying about the money but when you’ve got the money Faversham have got, of course they should be up there. They know we’ve got no money down there - we’ve never had it down at Sittingbourne and they try and nick every player they can. They’ve got money but good luck to them.

“When they come on Tuesday night they’ll be in for a tough game and hopefully we’ll pick the three points up.”

Abbott remained tight-lipped over the reasons behind Horlock’s departure, but added: “It’s between me and Joe and I just came to a stage where I’m not going to take it anymore. I’ve had enough of him and I’ve released him and that’s the end of it and he will never play for the club again as long as I’m here. I don’t want to go into it - things have been going on (what he’s been doing). As far as I’m concerned he can play wherever he wants to.”

Horlock later wanted to explain why he has been shown the door by Abbott.

He said: “I would like to clear up why I left Sittingbourne. I left the club due to me and my partner are having a baby in five weeks and I couldn’t commit to the club or the team 100% anymore.

“I love playing for Sittingbourne and wish the boys and the club the best especially Andy Spice and Richard Brady. Without them the club wouldn’t be as successful or as great as it is. Also I’d like to say that the fans are fantastic and it was a pleasure playing for them, especially the old boys.”

Visit Sittingbourne’s website: www.sittingbournefc.co.uk

Sittingbourne v Worthing

Ryman League Division One South

Saturday 29th January 2011

Kick Off 3:00pm

At Bourne Park, Central Park Stadium, Eurolink Industrial Estate, Church Road, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 3SB