The Way Ahead

[I am Spartacus]

Having just watched my first love ATHLETIC thrash Valencia 5-1 I think the way ahead for Margate is to follow thier player policy.

 

Now for those of you who do not know what it is it is quite simple you cannot play for ATHLETIC unless you are Basque born regardless how skillfull you are.

 

Therefore, for Margate I propose (over the next few years) that you cannot play for them unless you are a Man of Kent.

 

 

[Andy .]

Bob Bolder to be in the No1 shirt then great keeper .

[rayw]

Originally Posted By: Joseba

Having just watched my first love ATHLETIC thrash Valencia 5-1 I think the way ahead for Margate is to follow thier player policy.

Now for those of you who do not know what it is it is quite simple you cannot play for ATHLETIC unless you are Basque born regardless how skillfull you are.

Therefore, for Margate I propose (over the next few years) that you cannot play for them unless you are a Man of Kent.

Agree. I think there are easily enough good players east of the medway to make a good conference let alone ryman team. But first the club needs to start training east of the medway to attract some of those players. Local players at the moment are far more likely to want to play for Ramsgate or Dover. The long term effect of that could be bad for Margate.

[blueblood]

Surely Jim to a degree this is what is happening.

To me local players are ones who live in travelling distance of Margate( Roberto is a lad from Maidstone, he is willing to travel, be it to Hartsdown or Southwood). Too many i talked to yesterday seemed unable to grasp this( limiting their local map to inside the line between the Wantsum and Richborough). With all the new facilities coming on line in Hartsdown Park, the back room staff ( Neville, Mark, Phil, Tom and the youth coaches), and the talent availible in Kent, the only thing to stop us becoming the Manchester United of non league is the "WILL".

Unlike some yesterday who seem to take pleasure in destroying the fragile personality / confidence of youth.( Though, at 15/16/17, they would argue that they have the bodies of men, but in reality are still kids trying to find there way). I have confidence in our coaches and our youth. I do not believe the policy will see us plunge into the Kent County league. In fact the opposite.

 

Basque population:- Approx 3,000,000.For a spanish premier league team.They have opposition in Racing Santander, Real socieadad. Jim can tell us how much more opposition they have for those 3 million people

 

Kent Population:-Including unitary authority of Medway, excluding the bits claimed by King Ken, Aprox 1,600,000. Opposition, Gillingham. With this population i am sure we can do it with out buying it all.

Have faith in yourselves, have faith in your kids, have faith in kent.

[Rob_Butler]

Correct me if I am wrong Jim but some local players would not be accepted as they were not born here, and people with relatives that lived in Kent, be it a grandparent could.

[Paul H]

I totally agree with you Blueblood. On the players side of things i'd put my trust in Wevs and the experience of those training these youngsters. Far too many of them just end up playing Sunday football. Wevs has put players in the right direction, one of them being Leroy Lita!

[I am Spartacus]

Originally Posted By: Rob_Butler

Correct me if I am wrong Jim but some local players would not be accepted as they were not born here, and people with relatives that lived in Kent, be it a grandparent could.

Partially correct Robbie you actually have to be born in the Basque country a grandparent is no good.. It is why my first wife was sent to Bilbao to have our first son. It is one of my regrets in life that I could never play for the club that I love.

[Pagey]

you might do alright in goal

[Hempstead Gaz]

Liklihood is we will be playing a Gravesend born strike pairing of Akinde and Moore at Wembley. A lot of others are local lads too. It can work.

[sargon]

The Manchester United of non league football....???

 

Come on there are 2 or 3 clubs in this years Ryman Prem with hugely more potential than Margate could even dream off...let alone Dartford and Dover from level 4.

[JeremyJacobs]

Sargon

 

Chelmsford yes. Others not so sure

[rayw]

Originally Posted By: eyeballpaul4

I totally agree with you Blueblood. On the players side of things i'd put my trust in Wevs and the experience of those training these youngsters. Far too many of them just end up playing Sunday football. Wevs has put players in the right direction, one of them being Leroy Lita!

The Gate have missed out on quite a few decent local players over the years. Hook now at Eastbourne,Hatch at Peterborough, Kedwell at Grays,Schulz and Minshull at Ramsgate. Must be another half dozen at least who would be good enough for the conference.

[rayw]

Originally Posted By: sargon

The Manchester United of non league football....???

Come on there are 2 or 3 clubs in this years Ryman Prem with hugely more potential than Margate could even dream off...let alone Dartford and Dover from level 4.

Thanet has a population of over 128,000. Blackburn has a population of 105,0000.
A succesful Margate would be able to attract fans from all over Thanet and a lot of East Kent. The club has far more potential than Dover or Dartford.

[acdc]

The Man Utd of non league football-----If you dont aim to be the best you never get anywhere-----I like BlueBloods positive attitude-----lets have more of it.

[The X-R3F]

Do you think so ?

[The Shrubber]

Originally Posted By: eyeballpaul4

The Gate have missed out on quite a few decent local players over the years. Hook now at Eastbourne,Hatch at Peterborough, Kedwell at Grays,Schulz and Minshull at Ramsgate. Must be another half dozen at least who would be good enough for the conference.

That would be because you keep buying londoners...

[JeremyJacobs]

RayW is spot on but circumstances need to change dramatically. The Thanet population of c. 120,000 can support two highly ranked football clubs, i.e. Conference - Histon/Cambridge United aren't much further apart.

 

Margate FC has the history and enough armchair support to have a League 2 side. BUT, a stadium like Burton Albion, Dartford needs to be built. That'll attract many from far and wide.

 

Carry on....

[blueblood]

Look how many teams Blackburn have knocking on there door for their share of the supporters.

Ipswich, is more comparable with a largely rural catchment.

Population of Ipswich is 117,079.

With the will and support anything is possible. We have tried the spending way and it as(one way or another)led us hear.

I am not suggesting we have immediately have to dump experience and replace it all with youth. Youth will always need the guidance of experience. I don't mind paying a player a good wage provided he produces and plays for the team. If he doesn't want to and is only interested in his paycheck then goodbye.

People like JJ, AP, RH, and JS are the type of guys we need to keep, they would be great examples to follow.

We need to stop the youngsters playing in the Sunday League, Look at the bans (one couldn't play till mid October) and the injuries picked up. Most senior teams have log books in which the youngsters have to log how many minutes of actual football they play. Keep the fringe interested with a series of good friendlies against teams that will push them, stretch( Ebbsfleet fringe, Millwall youth, ETC) them beyond the Kent league level.

These games can be played on the new full sized artificial pitch to save the main one.

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF THERE IS THE WILL.

[blueblood]

No zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz's today Zander.

[differentgame]

bit of a fine line between having a current first team that can compete and what to do with the younger players. It is true to say that through the teens a really good player can have a bad year, growing etc. so he goes and another up and coming player takes the place. I feel that all the time there is only the reserves to go to after u18s you have the sweetshop problem. There should be somewhere else these players can go to under the Margate banner to be kept an eye on. I bet that in another 2 years MFC could easily have 2 good reserve sides. Still like to see first team v reserves.