A “roller coaster” ride of a season said Seasiders boss Neil Cugley after arguably his most challenging season in charge at the Buzzlines Stadium, as he looks back over an event filled 2008/2009 campaign in the Ryman Division One South.

Title expectations

Following relegation from the Ryman Premier the season before and the departure of the majority of the side, Invicta spent pre season rebuilding with the aspiration of challenging for promotion

Cugley recalled, “It’s easy to say now but in my mind there is no doubt we would have made the play offs and I think we could have even pushed and won the League. “We were big, strong and experienced and the only thing we lacked was consistency in scoring goals. Defensively we’ve been strong all season and it was there to be won.”

Record goal scorer Jimmy Dryden returned home from Dover Athletic alongside defensive quadruple Nicky Humphrey, Matt Bourne, Lee Gledhill and Mark Green. Versatile defender/striker Craig Wilkins also signed for the Seasiders along with combative midfielder Lee Spiller and pacy attacking player Byron Walker.

Cugley also pulled off a sensational coup in enticing non league legend Jimmy Jackson to Cheriton Road and inspirational figure Scott Lindsey returned as player coach.

“I think Gleds was a great captain; positive and a real motivator. Humps I thought was outstanding and out of all of those that came in he really shone for me. Bourney didn’t have the best start but when he left I thought he was playing very well. Spills only playing a few matches was a disappointment as I thought he was an excellent midfield player and at the time we had Pughy and Dryden up front and you wouldn’t get a better pairing in the League.”

The starting eleven back in August when the season kicked off was markedly different from the side that finished the season strongly with a 4-0 demolition of Walton Casuals.

Promising young trio Josh Burchell, Josh Vincent and Liam Dickson had all been through the Club’s youth system and were soon to play a big part in Invicta’s first Ryman One campaign. Frankie Chappell returned to the Buzzlines from Welling United, goalkeeper Jack Delo joined from Ramsgate and midfielder Darren Smith came back to Cheriton Road from Chatham Town – the three were among some astute transfer dealings conducted by Cugley in a season of “wheeler dealing”.

“We always knew the young lads we had would be good enough to come in and do a job when injuries and suspensions kicked in. Burchy, Dicko and JV may not have played week in week out but they would have all had an important part to play. They’ve proved they can cope with this standard and perhaps if they’d gone into a stronger side they would have done even better.”

Early days

The Seasiders started the season with a tricky fixture away to Worthing and came back to Folkestone with all three points in a 2-1 victory, courtesy of goals from the since departed Jimmy Corbett and on loan striker Andy Pugh who had signed from Gillingham providing cover for Craig Wilkins as he underwent knee surgery.

“We’d put together a new side and it takes times for new sides to properly bed down. I don’t think we ever saw the best of it to be honest.”

In the E.On sponsored F.A Cup, Folkestone drew Kent League side Sevenoaks away from home and Ramsgate were to follow in the early stages of the competition.

“Sevenoaks away is never an easy game. What we have done all season is to show a bit of character and we got ourselves back in the game up there after going 2-0 down and then we beat them comfortably in the replay.

“Ramsgate have always been a bogey side for me and the Club and we turned them over which was an achievement. We then went out to quite a good Horsham side and we were far from disgraced on that Cup run.”

Folkestone had thoroughly deserved to win against Jim Ward’s outfit – who have now been relegated – and incidentally, Jimmy Dryden’s match winning goal was scored against his current team mate Jack Delo.

Cugs opted for strength and experience in the midfield for that match by bringing in Scott Lindsey to the centre of the park.

“Bringing Lindso back pre season was fantastic for the Club. I thought he was a great coach and his enthusiasm was superb. The idea wasn’t to play him so much and ideally he would’ve just played against Ramsgate and we would’ve said ‘that’s your lot’ but injuries and other circumstances dictate sometimes. We still speak regularly and I see him at Gillingham reserve games and he’s thoroughly enjoying his role up there.”

In October the Club’s Board released the news that the Club were experiencing serious financial difficulties and drastic action was required – the wage budget evaporated almost overnight.

“It was a major shock; it wasn’t even a cut in the budget, it was gone. Six or seven players went almost straight away. I’ve had situations when the budget has been cut and you’ve had to play around with it or ask players to take a wage cut, but we were talking drastic circumstances at a time when we were second in the League and it was devastating. The ones that were to go played the following week, beat Corinthian Casuals 2-0 and we all had a beer afterwards and said goodbye.”

Following the initial exodus of players, the Seasiders faced promotion chasing Cray Wanderers away from home on a Tuesday night.

“We tried hard to keep spirits up and we went up there and did alright to be fair. It was to be a difficult month or two to come and results in that period were poor and were always likely to be poor I think. One stage we’re looking at the number of points needed for the play offs and a serious promotion challenge, then the next minute you’re sitting down looking at the League and thinking ‘how many do we need to stay up’?”

PART 2 to follow later this week...