Latest / The Folkestone & Hythe Sports Podcast / EXCLUSIVE FIRST INTERVIEW BETWEEN ADE DAWKES CHARLIE PRESCOTT AND NEW FOLKESTONE INVICTA MANAGER JAY SAUNDERS
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: As I said at the top of the show. I well,
- 0:03Speaker 1: me and Charlie Prescott, my co presenter on our Seaswiders Radio.
- 0:09Speaker 1: We were lucky enough to be asked by chairman Josh
- 0:14Speaker 1: Healey are Focusing in Victor Football Club if we would
- 0:16Speaker 1: like to interview the manager of the new manager of
- 0:20Speaker 1: Focusing in Victor on Saturday during the game. We're supposed
- 0:23Speaker 1: to do before kickoff, but he got a little bit
- 0:26Speaker 1: way late so we had to delay it until halftime.
- 0:29Speaker 1: And now I am going to play that interview for you.
- 0:34Speaker 1: It is a bit of a scoop and we haven't
- 0:36Speaker 1: had a chance to play it and this will be
- 0:38Speaker 1: its first airing other than it to be in live.
- 0:41Speaker 1: This is me and Charlie talking to Jay Saunders.
- 0:45Speaker 2: Good afternoon.
- 0:46Speaker 3: First of all, you must be absolutely delighted with what
- 0:48Speaker 3: you've just said. But first of all, how are you
- 0:50Speaker 3: feeling about taking the folks in job now?
- 0:52Speaker 2: Yeah?
- 0:52Speaker 4: Really over a moment to be honest, I've just guide
- 0:56Speaker 4: I'm not in the dughouse at I am really good
- 0:58Speaker 4: performance and yeah, I'm really excited to get started.
- 1:02Speaker 2: And when will you be started? Tuesday?
- 1:05Speaker 5: From training?
- 1:05Speaker 4: So I went along to the boys me Parky and
- 1:07Speaker 4: Blackie went along met all the boys on Thursday night
- 1:09Speaker 4: or training, sort of didn't get involved because are different
- 1:12Speaker 4: reasons for Tunbridge and then yeah, come along today and
- 1:17Speaker 4: then we're good to go for training Tuesday.
- 1:19Speaker 5: So really looking forward to it.
- 1:20Speaker 4: I think the boys have they sort of reacted really well,
- 1:23Speaker 4: trained well the other night, and it doesn't surprise me
- 1:25Speaker 4: the amount of effort they're putting in today because you
- 1:28Speaker 4: look at the squad, there's a lot of good players
- 1:29Speaker 4: in there. Our performance we've had to put up with
- 1:33Speaker 4: it all season with some of the performances that we've
- 1:35Speaker 4: had just obviously not been acceptable. But today that first
- 1:39Speaker 4: forty five minutes, I was very impressed with the teams
- 1:42Speaker 4: commitments and will.
- 1:44Speaker 2: To win today.
- 1:45Speaker 4: Yeah, I think, look, when we come in you'll see
- 1:48Speaker 4: from us. One thing we asked from the boys is
- 1:50Speaker 4: his desire and work rate. I think as supporters and
- 1:53Speaker 4: all you can ask is that the boys give hundred percent,
- 1:55Speaker 4: you might always get the result. But if they give
- 1:57Speaker 4: hundred percent, I think as fans and everyone are social
- 2:00Speaker 4: with the club, will accept that sometimes you'll lose games.
- 2:02Speaker 2: And what you've seen.
- 2:03Speaker 4: Out there today is a time start that they've had
- 2:05Speaker 4: a bit of the ball, but they've defended really well.
- 2:08Speaker 5: They've they've challenged.
- 2:09Speaker 4: For every ball and they've worked hard and when we've
- 2:11Speaker 4: had opportunities, they've taken them. So yeah, I think that's
- 2:15Speaker 4: thrown away. Performance against the league leaders.
- 2:16Speaker 2: Is a real positive most definitely.
- 2:20Speaker 1: It's no no secret that to our local derby is
- 2:25Speaker 1: against over Athletic and.
- 2:28Speaker 2: If they don't go up hell, how exciting.
- 2:31Speaker 1: Are you to hopefully play against over Athletic next season?
- 2:35Speaker 2: To us that is that's like Manday night of City.
- 2:38Speaker 4: So yeah, look, I to be honest, I haven't fought
- 2:41Speaker 4: that far ahead. I think for us it's about coming
- 2:43Speaker 4: in for these last five games. I wasn't expecting to
- 2:45Speaker 4: come in now, but for these last five games we
- 2:48Speaker 4: get to come in and get a field for the
- 2:49Speaker 4: club the way it's run on a match they meet
- 2:52Speaker 4: all the boys. I said to the boys, as a
- 2:53Speaker 4: clean slate, show us what you can do. And I
- 2:57Speaker 4: think that's our main thing focus at the moment is that.
- 2:59Speaker 4: And then obviously Lea players will come, players will stay,
- 3:01Speaker 4: and we'll build a side that we think is right
- 3:04Speaker 4: to go into next season. And then and then once
- 3:06Speaker 4: the fixtures are out, I'm sure that's a fixture.
- 3:08Speaker 2: We'll look forward to.
- 3:09Speaker 5: Yeah, And like I say, it's it's it's an exciting league.
- 3:13Speaker 4: I think next year you look at all the derbies
- 3:15Speaker 4: and it was something that attracted attracted us to come
- 3:17Speaker 4: down there.
- 3:18Speaker 2: Cool.
- 3:18Speaker 1: I mean we were saying during the game that next
- 3:21Speaker 1: season we can have up to at least maybe.
- 3:23Speaker 2: Nine Kent Darbies next season.
- 3:26Speaker 4: I've been really fortunate. I wasn't Maystone at the time
- 3:28Speaker 4: in this league. There was a lot of derbies in
- 3:30Speaker 4: when I was in the Rhyman South with Maystone, so
- 3:33Speaker 4: I'm used to that.
- 3:34Speaker 5: It's they're exciting. You know, there's going to be a
- 3:37Speaker 5: big crowd.
- 3:38Speaker 4: Everyone knows everyone, the players know each other and it's about.
- 3:41Speaker 2: Keeping your calm and doing your jobs.
- 3:43Speaker 4: And I think that's what you'll give the credit to
- 3:44Speaker 4: the boys to today. They haven't any stage of effect them.
- 3:48Speaker 4: They've stuck to their jobs and fair pray to Timmy
- 3:51Speaker 4: and Mode have They've set the boys up well and
- 3:53Speaker 4: hopefully we can we can see the game out and
- 3:55Speaker 4: get the three points.
- 3:57Speaker 1: I mean we're saying before the game and said mentioned
- 4:00Speaker 1: to me that we were fifteen to two to win today.
- 4:03Speaker 1: That's that's massive odds for any but any team, but
- 4:07Speaker 1: you know away team and fifteen to two we had well,
- 4:13Speaker 1: I did try to be honest, but I'm on William here,
- 4:16Speaker 1: so I didn't get to put any money on it.
- 4:19Speaker 1: But and I mean, you've seen the performance here this
- 4:22Speaker 1: after this year, you can see that we're not a
- 4:24Speaker 1: bad team. The players hopefully will be able to play
- 4:28Speaker 1: for it. Obviously you've got your own what sort of
- 4:32Speaker 1: players you want to are going to bring in, what
- 4:34Speaker 1: ones you want to stay, which ones will.
- 4:36Speaker 2: Be moving on? Have you got sort of any I
- 4:39Speaker 2: we don't.
- 4:40Speaker 1: We don't want names or anything, but you know you've
- 4:42Speaker 1: got ideas of who you would like to bring.
- 4:43Speaker 4: In or I'd like I say, we wasn't expecting to
- 4:46Speaker 4: come in just yet. So that's all that quick, which
- 4:48Speaker 4: I think took a benefit to everyone.
- 4:51Speaker 2: Was that a surprise?
- 4:53Speaker 4: Yeah, when the announcement went out, I kind of knew
- 4:55Speaker 4: our fans would react to know of it, and I
- 4:57Speaker 4: just felt it made my job of it impossible to
- 4:59Speaker 4: stay there. Would it's a shame because we've had a
- 5:01Speaker 4: great season, but that's football, and you what he hasn't
- 5:05Speaker 4: able us to do is come in and really get
- 5:06Speaker 4: a feel for the place, even game training the other night,
- 5:09Speaker 4: or just to see what how they do things how
- 5:10Speaker 4: we would sweek things. But I know Ada Jury really well.
- 5:15Speaker 4: I've known him for years and I knew he had
- 5:16Speaker 4: built a side here. When you look individually on paper,
- 5:19Speaker 4: there's very very good players. For whatever reason, it's not
- 5:22Speaker 4: worked and it's up to us now to adjust that.
- 5:25Speaker 4: And as I said to the boys like training on Thursday,
- 5:28Speaker 4: said look, just go out Saturday and show us what
- 5:30Speaker 4: you're capable of. It's a clean slate. Everyone will get
- 5:33Speaker 4: an opportunity. There's so I know pretty much every player
- 5:37Speaker 4: from over the years playing against them and stuff. There's
- 5:40Speaker 4: lads like Joel at the back kup. I'll be honest
- 5:43Speaker 4: with you, I didn't know a lot about Joel. Been
- 5:44Speaker 4: really impressed with in first half.
- 5:46Speaker 1: We've been very impressed with him all season, to be
- 5:49Speaker 1: honest with you.
- 5:49Speaker 4: The impressed him. He played against this pre season at Timbridge,
- 5:53Speaker 4: I think, and done well. But I've been really impressed
- 5:55Speaker 4: with him. So that's a positive. And that's what we
- 5:58Speaker 4: said is boys, just just go out and these last
- 6:00Speaker 4: five games, everyone will get a run out. Even I
- 6:03Speaker 4: spoke to Brad Wallace yesterday obviously on the bench, and
- 6:06Speaker 4: I said, look, you'll get an opportunity and show us
- 6:08Speaker 4: what you came of. And for me, it doesn't matter
- 6:11Speaker 4: how old you are, how young whatever. If you deserve
- 6:15Speaker 4: to start, you'll get opportunities. And if you're good enough,
- 6:17Speaker 4: you're old enough exactly. I mean at Sunbridge we had
- 6:19Speaker 4: seventeen eighteen year olds playing every week, so they get
- 6:22Speaker 4: they'll get opportunities and it's sunning.
- 6:24Speaker 5: I'm really excited. I'm really excited about that.
- 6:26Speaker 1: Yeah, we're obviously we knew a little bit more than
- 6:31Speaker 1: probably most of the fans that you were coming here.
- 6:33Speaker 2: We didn't realize you'll be here on a four year deal.
- 6:38Speaker 2: Where are your actual goals for where you would like
- 6:40Speaker 2: to be in them? Four years? National League.
- 6:44Speaker 4: I'll be honest if you're like, I don't mind having
- 6:48Speaker 4: a bit of pressure put on my shoulders. That's why
- 6:49Speaker 4: I'm in football. It will be blood they are to
- 6:54Speaker 4: do it, but we will give it every shot to
- 6:57Speaker 4: get promoted. And the great thing when I met Josh
- 6:59Speaker 4: and what attracted me was he said, look, the first
- 7:01Speaker 4: words were Jade, this is a project. When we were
- 7:04Speaker 4: eighteen months ago, he said that we met a week
- 7:06Speaker 4: or so ago and he said, look, it's a project.
- 7:10Speaker 4: Would I love to be promoted next year one hundred?
- 7:13Speaker 4: Are we under pressure to do it?
- 7:14Speaker 5: No?
- 7:15Speaker 4: But within this spell we want to We want to
- 7:18Speaker 4: climb the leagues. And I'll be honest with you. If
- 7:21Speaker 4: there wasn't that ambition and there wasn't that project, then
- 7:24Speaker 4: then you go is it worth dropping down?
- 7:26Speaker 5: But his desire is to take the club forward.
- 7:29Speaker 4: And I think what I've learned in football, if you've
- 7:31Speaker 4: got owners that match the management's ambitions, the players ambitions,
- 7:35Speaker 4: the supporters ambitions, and you can all work together and
- 7:38Speaker 4: push in the same direction, then you.
- 7:39Speaker 2: Can have success.
- 7:40Speaker 4: So there's no guarantees in football, but we will do everything.
- 7:44Speaker 4: When when the fans meet Blackie and Parking, they will
- 7:46Speaker 4: see we'll give absolutely.
- 7:47Speaker 5: Everything to take the come forward.
- 7:49Speaker 1: I mean that's prittiant. I mean, I don't know if
- 7:52Speaker 1: you know like our atendencies. I mean, to be honest,
- 7:55Speaker 1: We've probably played two or three decent games at Cheriton
- 7:58Speaker 1: Road all season and we still had averaging about eight
- 8:01Speaker 1: nine hundred per home game. And I know for a
- 8:05Speaker 1: fact that I've been supporting folksing for forty odd years
- 8:07Speaker 1: and the folksing crowd will come and support a winning team.
- 8:11Speaker 1: They're supporting a team that's not winning at the moment,
- 8:13Speaker 1: So the crowds behind you, I think we could be
- 8:18Speaker 1: getting fifteen hundred two thousand quite easily if we're you know,
- 8:23Speaker 1: pushing between the playoffs and maybe promotions.
- 8:25Speaker 4: I've played there over the years against Cugs's sides and
- 8:29Speaker 4: back in dam he had chamber and big wins in midfield,
- 8:31Speaker 4: and that I know what the crowds can be on
- 8:34Speaker 4: there and I've played in them.
- 8:36Speaker 5: I've managed against them.
- 8:38Speaker 4: Playoff semi final, and I know what support's like and
- 8:41Speaker 4: it's something again attracted us.
- 8:44Speaker 5: Look, it's a big club.
- 8:46Speaker 4: It's a big club, there's no doubt about it, and
- 8:47Speaker 4: we want to help that club be successful. And I
- 8:51Speaker 4: like to think we'll get a team out there next
- 8:53Speaker 4: year that the supporters will enjoy watching. That They will
- 8:55Speaker 4: going to get behind players they really want to get behind,
- 8:58Speaker 4: and if we can do that, then give them something
- 9:00Speaker 4: to cheer about.
- 9:01Speaker 2: That's brilliant.
- 9:02Speaker 3: We've touched a little bit on the quality you've got
- 9:04Speaker 3: in that changing room at the moment, but what do
- 9:06Speaker 3: those players need to go out there and show you
- 9:07Speaker 3: to play in a Jay store and decide next season.
- 9:10Speaker 4: No, that's always difficult because we haven't worked with them
- 9:13Speaker 4: and there'll be things we try and put in place
- 9:15Speaker 4: that'll be different for them. But like I said, I
- 9:19Speaker 4: think the biggest thing, and I always say to my
- 9:21Speaker 4: players at the start of season, start of every game,
- 9:23Speaker 4: is give me a hundred percent. You can't be bad
- 9:26Speaker 4: at running, you can't be bad at trying hard. Quality
- 9:29Speaker 4: sometimes you'll lack, and that's why certain players are at
- 9:32Speaker 4: certain levels. But if they give us everything and we
- 9:36Speaker 4: can get the right players in, then I think nine
- 9:38Speaker 4: times out of ten.
- 9:38Speaker 2: You'll be all right.
- 9:39Speaker 4: And as I say, I think supporters can appreciate that
- 9:41Speaker 4: and see that players are trying.
- 9:43Speaker 5: And as I said, I think that's what's impressed.
- 9:44Speaker 4: Me today is you can't say, oh, anyone's anyone's not
- 9:48Speaker 4: trying or whatever.
- 9:49Speaker 5: They're genuinely given everything.
- 9:51Speaker 4: And if we can do that, and it won't always happen,
- 9:53Speaker 4: there'll be days where people have off days, but if
- 9:55Speaker 4: they can give a hundred percent when they're wearing the shirt,
- 9:57Speaker 4: then I think that that will go a long way.
- 10:01Speaker 1: The f A Cup is something that we've I love
- 10:05Speaker 1: the FA Cup, and I don't know if you're aware
- 10:08Speaker 1: of the history of folks then in the f A Cup,
- 10:10Speaker 1: which is not brilliant. The last time we were in
- 10:12Speaker 1: the first round was two thousand and I think it
- 10:14Speaker 1: was two thousand and two when we went to Chester.
- 10:17Speaker 1: But we have not had a first round FA Cup
- 10:20Speaker 1: game at Chariton Road since England won the World Cup.
- 10:24Speaker 4: So there's no pressure, to be honest. I had a
- 10:28Speaker 4: similar thing at Tunbridge. They hadn't in my first two years.
- 10:31Speaker 4: We got knocked out early and then this year we
- 10:32Speaker 4: may have to make the first round. Unfortunately we went out.
- 10:35Speaker 4: I've had some good runs with Maystone, good runs with Margate,
- 10:38Speaker 4: so look, it's it's a competition we want to do
- 10:41Speaker 4: well in. Again, I do think it's a luck of
- 10:43Speaker 4: the drawer, but no, it's certainly earlier competition that we'll
- 10:49Speaker 4: we'll try and change that, that's for sure, with promises.
- 10:52Speaker 4: We're fed up with the fourth qualifying round. That's where
- 10:55Speaker 4: we seem to go out every every season.
- 10:57Speaker 3: Obviously, the buzzword with your appointment around I think a
- 11:00Speaker 3: lot of outlet's has been pressure. I know it's not
- 11:02Speaker 3: come from Josh and coing the board, but do you
- 11:05Speaker 3: feel that sort of external.
- 11:06Speaker 2: Pressure from everyone.
- 11:07Speaker 3: Now you've come here with the squad we've got and
- 11:09Speaker 3: obviously your reputation as the manager.
- 11:10Speaker 2: I know you don't want to play your own trumpet too.
- 11:12Speaker 3: Much, but do you feel there is that sort of
- 11:14Speaker 3: outside pressure from everyone else?
- 11:16Speaker 5: Do you know? That's what I'm saying.
- 11:17Speaker 4: I don't mind working under a bit of pressure. I
- 11:19Speaker 4: think if there's pressure, it's because everyone wants to do well.
- 11:23Speaker 4: I think if you're at a club and there's no
- 11:25Speaker 4: pressure on you and you just go through the motions,
- 11:27Speaker 4: then I'd rather start home with the family, if I'm
- 11:30Speaker 4: honest with Yard, rather that bit of pressure and that
- 11:32Speaker 4: bit of desire. And we put me, Blackie and Parky
- 11:35Speaker 4: put more pressure on ourselves than anyone, and that's fine.
- 11:41Speaker 5: And look, we're judged on results. We're judged on what
- 11:44Speaker 5: we can do.
- 11:44Speaker 4: And I'm not saying next year we're going to come
- 11:46Speaker 4: in wave a magic wonder there, it's brilliant and we're
- 11:48Speaker 4: going to be winning the league, because it doesn't.
- 11:49Speaker 5: Work like that. But we'll give absolutely everything.
- 11:53Speaker 4: I'd like to think we'll make some good signings and
- 11:55Speaker 4: then that suddenly adds pressure. Probably to be fair, this
- 11:58Speaker 4: year with Andy, there was a lot of pressure put
- 12:00Speaker 4: on him with some of the great signings he made,
- 12:02Speaker 4: and unfortunately it's not worked out. But I think for
- 12:06Speaker 4: us now it's the pressure is not Pressure is not
- 12:09Speaker 4: a bad thing because it shows that you will want
- 12:11Speaker 4: to want to have success. I could have stayed at
- 12:13Speaker 4: other clubs where there probably was no pressure to sort
- 12:17Speaker 4: of really go up and this and that, but I
- 12:18Speaker 4: think this was an opportunity that really excites us and
- 12:22Speaker 4: that's what.
- 12:22Speaker 2: We're looking forward to.
- 12:23Speaker 3: One last thing to finish on before I see the
- 12:25Speaker 3: players coming out. But we've been a lot of speculation
- 12:27Speaker 3: about how folks and will play in this game and
- 12:30Speaker 3: other games a season. What can we expect next season
- 12:32Speaker 3: from a Jay Saunders team.
- 12:33Speaker 4: Obviously with a new pitch going down, I think that'll
- 12:35Speaker 4: affect how we can play home. I've seen the pitch
- 12:38Speaker 4: the other day and it's not great. It's not great,
- 12:41Speaker 4: but the new pitch will well. I'd like to get
- 12:43Speaker 4: some players. We'll try and play with pace, power players
- 12:47Speaker 4: that will excite supporters and that that will be the
- 12:50Speaker 4: game plan and to go out. And I think this
- 12:53Speaker 4: year at time which we made time of the real
- 12:55Speaker 4: fortress we had four or fifth best league record home record,
- 13:00Speaker 4: we probably didn't get the away record quite right that
- 13:03Speaker 4: it's adjusting slightly. But we'll have a team, as I say,
- 13:06Speaker 4: we'll try and get a team out of that. Supports
- 13:07Speaker 4: will be proud of them and really get behind.
- 13:10Speaker 1: That's all the supporters want to hear, to be honest,
- 13:13Speaker 1: and hopefully we don't draw Tunbridge Angels in the full
- 13:16Speaker 1: round of the fake up.
- 13:18Speaker 3: We'll let you get back and watch the second half
- 13:21Speaker 3: and appreciate us.
- 13:23Speaker 2: Thank you very much, thank you. There you go.
- 13:26Speaker 1: That was the last Saturday at halftime with the James
- 13:30Speaker 1: Saunders me and Charlie interviewing him and the new focivity
- 13:36Speaker 1: to manager.
- 13:37Speaker 6: Well, yeah, fair well, yeah, brilliant. I mean it all
- 13:39Speaker 6: sounds positive, doesn't it, and which you'd expect, you know,
- 13:42Speaker 6: it's what the fans want to hear. They've got the
- 13:46Speaker 6: infrastructure right around the ground, you know, three g going down.
- 13:49Speaker 6: Good for the community. Perhaps they might have to, as
- 13:53Speaker 6: Jay said, get some players that kind of there's more
- 13:57Speaker 6: and more artificial services popping up.
- 14:00Speaker 2: In yeah, in the junior leagues if you like.
- 14:02Speaker 6: Yeah, and some players can't adapt to them, so you're
- 14:06Speaker 6: going to need players that are skillful, fast and can
- 14:09Speaker 6: cope with the conditions. But if he's a project, then
- 14:14Speaker 6: he's got a bit of a wiggle room. Perhaps in
- 14:17Speaker 6: two seasons you might have be in the National League.
- 14:18Speaker 1: Souf, Yeah, I mean obviously that's the goal. I mean
- 14:21Speaker 1: he said it himself. He wants to go even higher.
- 14:23Speaker 1: He wants to go in the National League as well.
- 14:25Speaker 1: So you know he's obviously ambitious, and obviously the chairman
- 14:30Speaker 1: we know he's ambitious. He's put a lot of money
- 14:33Speaker 1: or his board or wherever it's coming from, they invested
- 14:38Speaker 1: in Or they are investing a lot in Folks and
- 14:41Speaker 1: in Victor. So hopefully next season we will have a
- 14:44Speaker 1: winning team on and off the pitch, because I think
- 14:47Speaker 1: they get it right off the pitch. It's just now
- 14:50Speaker 1: we've got Jay Saunders's rightly or wrongly, Andy Jurry didn't
- 14:53Speaker 1: quite get it right, and of course he had to
- 14:56Speaker 1: go got the new manager in Jay Saunders. And you
- 14:59Speaker 1: know he he did say these last five games he's
- 15:03Speaker 1: he's going to be quite happy to see what he's
- 15:06Speaker 1: got to for next season.
- 15:09Speaker 6: And it looks like that the lads did them actually
- 15:11Speaker 6: try a little bit. I mean at the top of
- 15:12Speaker 6: the league, I know so with The interesting point will
- 15:15Speaker 6: be this afternoon when they're playing bottom of the league on't.
- 15:17Speaker 1: The Yeah Battles and Pitsy have been relegated. Match over
- 15:21Speaker 1: at Klaine Stadium, three Hills, three o'clock kickoff. Make sure
- 15:25Speaker 1: you get over there now and support the boys and
- 15:28Speaker 1: have a look at Ja Saunders in on the bench
- 15:32Speaker 1: for the first time.
- 15:33Speaker 6: Excited.
- 15:34Speaker 2: Okay, then that's it. Goodbye from us
- 15:38Speaker 3: On one five point nine, online at Radio Focus, theon
- 15:43Speaker 3: dot com and on your smart speaker.