Monday 31 May 2010

Oh, hang on, its grim up north.

http://www.yourmedway.co.uk/kent-news/Chats-unhappy-with-Ryman-North-switch-newsinkent36307.aspx?news=sport

This is frankly very worriyng. Very worrying indeed.

I'd strongly recommend reading this link. To summarise it for you though, the leagues need further reshuffling, and it looks like we've drawn the short straw again.

I'll keep you posted, but it now looks like there's plenty of uncertainty about anything next season. It all started so well this morning, new manager, loads of Kent derbies to look forward to. At least we might get another trip to sunny Ware and a derby against Thamesmead if this goes ahead. It also must significantly undermine our new sponsorship deal - crowds in the 1North are pathetic...

We have to appeal this if its true.

New management team.

It was briefly announced on the official site, before being removed at the time of this post, that we've appointed Paul Foley as our new manager.

Now, if its true, and it goes ahead, initial thoughts are that this is an excellent, if unexpected appointment. Foley, the son of former Millwall and Arsenal Assistant Manger Theo ( a man who could say "Ricky Otto" with more finesse than any other co-commentator on ITV's local First Division coverage in the early days of the premier league) has a great track record at near neighbours Vickers Cray Dartford (VCD), guiding them in his first three season's to second and first in the Kent League, and then an impressive seventh in the R1N last season, before the club's enforced relegation.

I said before that we should appoint from within the club's family - this is of course not the case if this is true, but given his pedigree, and the fact that he is young, ambitious and proven to succeed at this level, he could be a fantastic acquisition for this club. What we have to look out for now is the calibre of player he can attract to the club on our budget. He's a history of attracting good names to VCD (he took Simon Austin to them in the kent league from Ryman Premier Horsham, and recruited Ashley Probets from the wilderness), so lets hope he can bring some star quality to add to the decent backbone that we've already got on board at TOSC.

Of course, if its all conjecture, or fallen through, this is a massive OG for the club... but let's not jump the gun. Maybe they're just updating the site or summink.

Tuesday 18 May 2010

The late, late show.

Its been a while since I posted. It took some time to reflect on what was, honestly, a season marked by its inconsistency.

Chatham started the season with so much promise, ending it with four months of relegation form, seeing the Chats plummet from the edge of the play offs, to 17th in Ryman 1 South.

Alex O'Brien and Lew Watts are no more. They're not dead, if that's what you were thinking, but they've thrown in the towel. Not a surprise really.

The hunt is on for a new management team. Many many possibilities. Last time around, OB's shock appointment was one met with some trepidation by supporters, but overwhelmingly popular. His twelve game tenure as coach at the end of the 2008-2009 season saw us go on an unbeaten run. Soon announced was the signing of Brendon Cass, Steve Hafner and the arrival of two decent goalkeepers - Stroud and Ruddy. Things looked up. And then it all went wrong. OB never seemed to be able to settle the side. Frankly, there was too much change too swiftly.

The challenge now is to appoint a manager who bleeds the red and black. Both Lloyd Hume (with Alan Walker - the two were formidable at Maidstone) and Jason Lillis spring to mind, but may not, according to the esteemed John Crow be welcomed back to the club. The two are former Chats, but are not loved apparently. So, if we want to keep it in the family, who are our options - its hard to say.

Steve Binks is Mr Chatham. Not in the pageant sense, but in the Loyal and True sense. But maybe that would be a backward step. Binks could never put the side together to push for promotion , to take us to that next level.

Alternatively, we could look to another former manager, and good friend of the club, Clive Walker. He's involved at Faversham as far as I know, but perhaps the lure of the management role at TOSC may be a big draw. I'd put money on him. Or Steve Best. He was a leader for us on the pitch before his retirement, and knows the non league scene in Kent inside out. He was also tactically astute, and passion was a middle name for him.

Whoever we appoint, it needs to be swift. This is the time of year where players are out of contract. The likes of Solly and Probets will be attracting attention elsewhere. We need to keep them at the club, along with the backbone of the side, Richard Avery. Also, we need to bring back some of the players who've left. They were liked - really liked, by both fans and the wider "club" - to be explicit, I mean Lee Barnett, Brendon Cass, Byron Walker, Steve Hafner (playing Sunday league division 3 last i heard), and the dream star, local hero and Chatham's most successful product of recent years (excluding Danny Kedwell now a full timer at Wimbledon) Frannie Collin.

Its all dreams this time of year. But that's what post season is about. The power of dreams. Fire up the Honda - we're off to the Ryman Prem.