Positive vibes at the Buzzlines

There can be no complaints from Folkestone Invicta over our treatment by the Ryman League’s computer after the Division One South fixtures for season 2011/12 were released earlier this week (writes Mick Cork).

The Club had already been handed home games in the first two rounds of this season’s FA Cup – and will also be at home in the preliminary round of the FA Trophy. Neil Cugley’s side will of course have to win the first FA cup encounter to get the second!

“We’ve got five out of the first eight games at home” said the manager when we met up yesterday. “And we ought to be able to get away to a decent start.”

Moving on further, it could be eight home games in the first 13 by the time Folkestone take on Met Police in the Trophy on October 8.

Neil has been widely quoted in the local media in saying that he’s looking forward to the next two or three months more than he has for several seasons. And it will be great if Invicta live up to his expectations and get the kind of start we’re all hoping for.

We shouldn’t forget, though, that our best year for ages came when we didn’t even know we would be starting the season till we kicked off our first game but then – by rights, and if there was any moral justice –we would have been Southern Division Champions for the first time ever.

That was two years ago, of course, when Invicta were pipped to the title by a Croydon Athletic side who some of us will always believe were bankrolled by slightly dodgy money from the cricket betting scandal in which their benefactor Mazhar Majeed is alleged to have been involved. Croydon eventually took the title by less than the 10 point deduction Invicta had to suffer when circumstances dictated that we entered into a CVA.

There was good news on that score this week as chairman Lynn Woods told me on Tuesday that the C

lub are now past halfway with more than £40,000 of the creditors agreement already repaid. That reflects very favourably on the way things have been run since that time – with special thanks to the many rank and file supporters who have dug deep to help out in these financially very difficult times.

“Things are fundamentally stable” said Lynn.

“ We’re not now leaking money though it will always remain a challenge to cover the club’s fixed overheads whilst the economy remains so depressed.”

Recognising the trying economic times, the Club has reduced its gate prices back to 2009 levels, so charges this season will be £8 for adults, £5 for concessions and £2 for students and children. It is hoped that this will help gates to pick-up, though everyone at the club knows that results on the park are key to stimulating interest and that we’re all hoping the lads can score more goals than our team has for a while.

Mr Woods has ambitious long-term ideas for the club under a five-year plan and insists: “I want us to be more than a semi-pro Saturday afternoon team – we are already through the great work of the Youth and Disability coaches and organisers, though we don’t always get the credit we deserve for that.”

Shepway Council – and Folkestone Town Council – are supportive in many ways and the relationship between the club and the local authorities is said to be better now than it has been for some time. Chairman Woods underlines that this is crucial to the development agenda, where the club is aiming to forge closer relationships with schools, amateur football clubs and with other sports to build the case for a second phase of development at the Cheriton Road site.

Stripes going well

On the plus side, The Stripes Club is thriving thanks in no small way to the efforts of volunteers Don Linkin and John Wise and to bar manager Jane Smith and her staff.
Stripes received something of a shot in the arm thanks to the District Council’s move to resurface the adjoining car park.

That has been complemented by work undertaken by supporters in clearing the derelict space to the side of the clubhouse, creating a grassed sitting area, likely to be especially appreciated by the mums and dads who come to watch the youngsters playing on the adjacent junior football area.
Enterprising Don is even looking into the possibility of Stripes staging weddings when Folkestone Registry Office closes down in September!

Internal alterations to the social club will provide a separate function room at the turnstile end of the members’ bar meaning that two functions can be held at any one time.

On the wider commercial front, Lynn paid tribute to the steadfast support of Buzzlines Coaches, who - through owner Nigel Busbridge - continue to sponsor the stadium.

The Chairman also welcomed new stadium advertisers including Remland, Reeds Rains, City Electrical, D C Homewood, Halksworth Wheeler and Thoroughly Wood.

He said: “Feedback from Remland in particular confirms that local businesses attract much interest and customer loyalty by investing modestly in stadium advertising – we hope others will follow suit in supporting what the club is trying to do for its community”.

The Supporters Club report an improved take-up of the Superdraw Lottery tickets, with nearly 800 now subscribing to the draw run by the Midland Sporting Association which has a weekly top prize of £1,000 and prospectively higher prizes via a rolling accumulator.

Over a hundred new subscribers have been attracted in the last few weeks via Rocheforts Newsagents in Cheriton, again a massive contribution from a respected and long-standing local business.

Supporters Chairman Clive Arnold underlined the importance of a successful lottery when he said: “This is a source of fundraising dedicated totally to the first-team budget, so we know that in buying a ticket every week or helping to sell lottery membership we are contributing directly to a strong first-team”.

Pre-season hopes

Thanks to the excellent work of Phil Orris and others The Buzzlines Stadium is looking good and almost ready for kick-off.

And the manager reports that the players are looking sharp – especially long-time target Stuart King – the striker Cugley wanted to sign last season until Herne Bay demanded a transfer fee that Invicta were not willing to pay.

At that time, King went off to play for Thamesmead in Ryman One North, but has happily kept his promise to join Folkestone once he was free to do so.

New faces Luke Blewden and Matt Hollyoak are also impressing in training which started at the beginning of the month.

Luke, 21, is the son of ex-Tonbridge and Dover legend Colin Blewden. He can play in midfield, in the hole behind a frontman, or upfront himself.

Matt, 23, is a former England schoolboy international. Like Blewden he played last season at Tonbridge, and can play right back or in midfield, hinting at an interchangeable role with Invicta youngster Josh Vincent who was a midfielder through school and youth days before developing into an accomplished fullback after breaking into the Invicta first team three years ago.

Also delighting the manager with his attitude – and sharpness – in pre-season is fans’ favourite James ‘Ratty’ Everitt whose versatility also makes him an invaluable member of the Cheriton Road squad.
Supporters love Ratty’s whole-hearted spirit up front where his goals have been invaluable – never moreso than on the run-in to promotion two years ago.

Now well past 250 appearances, the younger of the Everitt brothers, has also performed well in midfield or at the back, where he may well be asked to play again from time to time.

Centre back Liam Friend’s on-off move to Margate, in a bid to stay in the Premier Division, now looks more on than off, though Folkestone will still insist on a fee for the home-developed defender.