Match Day Programme Sittingbourne v Horsham 6th April 2019

From the Programme Editor
A warm welcome to our visitors Horsham, and
also to the match officials.
Horsham have exciting times ahead, as after
spending 10 years “in exile) at Worthing, Horsham
YMCA and lately Lancing, their new
ground at the Hop Oast, on the outskirts of
Horsham, is coming on well. Its worth having a
look at their website to see pictures of the latest
building works including the laying of the
pitch. This will be a difficult game with Horsham
trying to seal a play-off place.
There are no secretary notes today as he is on
another one of his many cruises!
There have
been two defeats
for us
since the last
programme,
home to
Hythe Town
and away to
Greenwich
Borough, the
latter one being
particularly
disappointing.
Chris
writes more
about that
game in his
notes.
We still need
one win to
make mathematically
sure
that we don’t
get relegated.
The good
news is that
following the completion of our new dressing
rooms and other small works around the
ground, we have now succeeded in passing
our ground grading inspection. If we had not
had the new dressing rooms then we more
than likely would have been relegated. An FA
letter has stressed that Dressing rooms must
be 18 square metres by March 31st or clubs
will be relegated to Step 5, unless work has
started, planning permission is in place and the
available finance is demonstrable. Already
Aylesbury FC have been told that they wont
get a reprieve and will be relegated. We can
only feel sorry for those clubs who are effected
as its only through the exceptional generosity
of Greg McHardy that we have survived this
scare.
The transfer deadline for clubs at our level has
now passed and we have made two new signings
in Kane Phillips, who has rejoined us, and
a very promising young man in Harry Taylor,who
has joined us after banging in goals for
Millwall youth, so welcome to these two. Chris
includes some up to date news of player availability
in his notes.
This programme gives extensive coverage to
the changes in FA rules that will be coming in
on the 1st June. The article covers three pages,
but I thought that it was worth the space so
that you can be up to speed ready for the new
season!!
Locally there is extraordinary news coming out
of Herne Bay FC. It appears that their budget
has been far too generous and with a majority
of contracted players they are fast running out
of money. Joint managers, well known to us,
John Embery and Jermaine Darlington, have
walked out and a board statement said “The
social media trolls have finally won the day.
The management team have been hounded
out of the club and as such the club are playing
Whyteleafe with Anthony Deer taking the team.
(Ed note they did defeat Whyteleafe!)
Whether we will have a team to field next Saturday
is in the lap of the footballing gods. Relegation
back to the SCEFL looks to be inevitable.
Whether there will be a club next season is unclear.
The board have put so much effort over the
years but the past two weeks has become so
demoralising.
These keyboard warriors who hide behind false
titles post what they like without knowing the
full facts, criticising the board and their decisions
and it is these individuals who have destroyed
this football club.
Hopefully we can all get behind and support
Anthony for the remaining matches.”
You can now see why we are very reluctant to
have players on contract, as most clubs with
our income can’t afford to pay players who are
not playing, even though we would dearly love
to.
Enjoy the game today.
Peter