1stdec03

Miles starts rebuilding at Slade Green
Phil Miles, manager of Go Travel Kent League side Slade Green, has been forced to rebuild his side due to the many changes at the Small Glen, writes Stephen McCartney.

Speaking on the club's website, Miles has decided to stay at the club until the end of this season even though he has lost several players.

With this in mind, the team have slumped from fourth in the Go Travel Kent League Premier Division and are now fourth from bottom in the table ahead of Deal Town, Tunbridge Wells and Mile End based outfit Sporting Bengal United.

Sporting Bengal, however, have set a new Kent League record having lost their opening eighteen league games to the season following their 6-0 defeat at Erith Town on Saturday.

Miles gave an insight to the problems he has faced at Slade Green, and said:   "They say a week in football is a long time, well if that's the case then the last seven weeks have felt like an eternity.

"Having decided to stay at Slade Green until the end of the season there have been times when I thought things couldn't get much worse.

"During this period we have lost several players, slumped from fourth from top to fourth from bottom and taken one point from a possible fifteen available, not the best of form.

"To be fair, I expected a bit of a slump, but hopefully now things seem to have bottomed out and we can start to rebuild.
"Someone once said that "it's only a game" true, but it's a very frustrating one at times.

"Like I've just said, we have to start rebuilding, with the exodus of players finally over we have begun this process.  Firstly, I'd like to take the opportunity of welcoming back Peter Little.

"Peter joins us on the coaching side, he has great experience and is a past manager of Slade Green.

"I felt that if the players listen to him, they will learn and become better players, that in turn will hopefully then make us a better side.  I think his input has already started to show and the performances at Hythe Town and Ramsgate have certainly given us something to build on.  A different voice and a new face will help us.

"On the field we have made a number of new signings.  I would like to welcome Mark Freeman, former Chatham Town manager Peter Coupland and Phil Miles to the club. 

"Some have said that these new signings are "a little old", but believe me all three still have plenty to offer.  When you are a slump, you look for that bit of experience to help guide you out, we didn't have that before, but I feel we have it in abundance.

"At the other end of the scale we have just signed James Clarke from Cray Wanderers and I'm also hopeful of having another new signing available.  The players that stayed during all the upheaval have been a credit to themselves and the club, they have continued to work hard, keeping the morale and spirit high and hopefully will get some reward for all their hard work.  The rebuilding programme is well and truly underway."

Slade Green travel to Herne Bay next Saturday (6 December) before hosting fellow strugglers Tunbridge Wells at the Small Glen on 13 December.

The Green however, are the third best supported team in the Kent League with an average crowd of 134, behind Maidstone United (260) and newcomers Sevenoaks Town (167).