Latest / The Folkestone & Hythe Sports Podcast / ADE DAWKES TALKS TO JOSH HEALEY CHAIRMAN OF FOLKESTONE INVICTA FOOTBALL CLUB.

Transcript

ADE DAWKES TALKS TO JOSH HEALEY CHAIRMAN OF FOLKESTONE INVICTA FOOTBALL CLUB. · The Folkestone & Hythe Sports Podcast

0:07
Speaker 1: Good morning sports fans of Folks done me Adie doalks
0:10
Speaker 1: here with the sports show on radio Folks done on
0:13
Speaker 1: one five point nine. No keV this morning. He's off
0:18
Speaker 1: to Clacton. He's got a big sports run earlier early tomorrow.
0:23
Speaker 1: But in the studio as promised, we have the folks
0:26
Speaker 1: in the victor chairm and mister Josh Heley. Good morning, Josh morning. Thanks, Yeah,
0:31
Speaker 1: you're more than welcome. We can't we can't not start
0:34
Speaker 1: the music with probably the best song ever. When we
0:41
Speaker 1: were at Saint Alban City, I did a little rant
0:45
Speaker 1: and raven thank you everybody, and you might have heard
0:48
Speaker 1: it on our seaside has radio bit, but I was,
0:51
Speaker 1: I was nearly crying and we were we were then
0:54
Speaker 1: champions of the ESPN Premier League. So we're going to
0:56
Speaker 1: start off this morning with obviously the best song for folks.
1:00
Speaker 1: A victor at the moment, and we are the champions,
1:04
Speaker 1: my dear.
1:07
Speaker 2: Time after time, I've done my sentence, but committed no
1:16
Speaker 2: crime and mistakes.
1:29
Speaker 1: There you go, queen, and we are the champions, and
1:32
Speaker 1: we are the champions indeed of the Isthmian Premier League. Okay, Josh,
1:38
Speaker 1: Lots and lots of questions to get through. We'll start
1:41
Speaker 1: with some from the Facebook page. Will there be kits
1:46
Speaker 1: for sale with a chance to get your names and
1:49
Speaker 1: numbers on the backs of the shirts?
1:51
Speaker 3: They certainly will be kicked for so. I know there
1:54
Speaker 3: wasn't any available in the first game. I think that
1:56
Speaker 3: was due to stock not coming in in time and
1:59
Speaker 3: very so other bit so I think for the challenge
2:01
Speaker 3: for the game there will be in terms of printing.
2:05
Speaker 3: Good question that the printing obviously has done at Landel
2:08
Speaker 3: and we've printed with views their equipment to do our players,
2:11
Speaker 3: so without having discussions with Landel, but I would have
2:14
Speaker 3: thought that wouldn't be an issue. Yeah, it is. It's
2:19
Speaker 3: just sort of availability and stop coming. I think at
2:21
Speaker 3: the back end of or during last season there was
2:23
Speaker 3: a lot purchased and more than what we thought. And
2:26
Speaker 3: I think Jeff will probably sympathize. You want to be
2:30
Speaker 3: careful with how much doc you by occasionally and then
2:32
Speaker 3: you get lumbered with it. So but I think as
2:35
Speaker 3: the season went on last year and as we as
2:37
Speaker 3: we did pretty well that obviously more and more was
2:39
Speaker 3: brought and then to get it back over it sort
2:42
Speaker 3: of takes its time. So yeah, things to work on
2:45
Speaker 3: in there. Yeah, it was great. I mean I think
2:50
Speaker 3: a lot of us all sort of wanted it the
2:51
Speaker 3: week before when we'd sort of set up a few things.
2:53
Speaker 3: But actually I probably agree with Jay where it couldn't
2:56
Speaker 3: have worked any better when we had all the fans
2:57
Speaker 3: four hundred and five hundred up there and the sphere
3:00
Speaker 3: in the pub before and you know, it was just
3:02
Speaker 3: a great day, great occasion. And yeah, I mean, as
3:05
Speaker 3: I said the start of the season, that wasn't really
3:07
Speaker 3: the goal. It was obviously to get pushing for playoffs
3:10
Speaker 3: and see where we're at. But then when you found
3:12
Speaker 3: yourselves at Christmas with the lead we had, it was
3:15
Speaker 3: it did feel a little bit like I was to lose.
3:16
Speaker 3: And then it slowly just went by and went by,
3:19
Speaker 3: and when's it going to happen? So no, it was
3:21
Speaker 3: an emotional day, but a great day for everyone. Yeah,
3:26
Speaker 3: I think, being brutally honest, completely underestimated how challenging it
3:31
Speaker 3: would be. You know, the information and the emails and
3:35
Speaker 3: the questions we're constantly asked by the league. He's probably
3:38
Speaker 3: five six times more than the ishmun and you know
3:41
Speaker 3: that get the ground up to a grade two or
3:43
Speaker 3: a step two standard as they call it. You know,
3:46
Speaker 3: that's probably another one hundred and fifty thousand pounds that
3:48
Speaker 3: we've got to put in. There is obviously a Stadia
3:50
Speaker 3: fund to pull on things, but I'll come on to
3:52
Speaker 3: that later because it's not easy to get to draw
3:54
Speaker 3: on the funding there. But yeah, I mean, I'm sure
3:57
Speaker 3: Richard would would have told you, Aidy and Anthony and
3:59
Speaker 3: everyone it's it's certainly yeah, we've had to there's a
4:03
Speaker 3: lot more work to do. Put it this way, it's
4:05
Speaker 3: become a lot more real, lot more. I mean, you know,
4:06
Speaker 3: I think half the teams in our professional clubs, you know,
4:09
Speaker 3: and that's where we want to get to at some point.
4:11
Speaker 3: So yeah, well, as I say, it was a four
4:14
Speaker 3: year plan getting Jay in and we're maybe a bit
4:17
Speaker 3: ahead of ourselves and that, so we've got to quickly
4:19
Speaker 3: catch up with off the field stuff.
4:21
Speaker 1: Now there you go, there're squeeze and another nail in
4:32
Speaker 1: my heart, just like a few texts coming through saying
4:35
Speaker 1: that you can't hear me, So I've switched over to
4:38
Speaker 1: the microphone and hopefully this will be okay. I was
4:43
Speaker 1: saying just before the start of that record that we're
4:46
Speaker 1: supposed to be playing Absolete United today in the National
4:49
Speaker 1: League South, but due to some sort of financial irregularities
4:56
Speaker 1: that at the moment they've been suspended. Do you know
4:59
Speaker 1: any more.
5:01
Speaker 3: Nothing more than anyone else has seen in the press.
5:04
Speaker 3: I think, you know, it's obviously disappointing for us not
5:08
Speaker 3: to be able to to play this Saturday after winning
5:11
Speaker 3: at the weekend or last weekend rather, and I think,
5:13
Speaker 3: you know, Jay would have loved to roll on from
5:15
Speaker 3: the result of the weekend into this. But you know,
5:18
Speaker 3: it is disappointing and I feel for sort of Ebste
5:20
Speaker 3: a little bit. I think they should have been able
5:22
Speaker 3: to play. I mean, you know, ultimately, if there are,
5:26
Speaker 3: if they have got some financial difficulties, a first home
5:29
Speaker 3: game as a Kent derby would have certainly helped.
5:32
Speaker 1: Yeah, I would imagine we'd have taken at least three
5:35
Speaker 1: four hundred up there, especially on a Saturday in August,
5:39
Speaker 1: being a lovely weather as well and relatively new ground
5:42
Speaker 1: for probably a lot of fans as well. As we've
5:44
Speaker 1: not really played abso Fleet to night. I think the
5:46
Speaker 1: last time was Kent Senior Club under mister Cogley. I
5:49
Speaker 1: think it was the last time we played them at
5:53
Speaker 1: Stonebridge Road. I believe it is the name of their ground.
5:56
Speaker 1: But yeah, any idea what what happened from them? I
6:01
Speaker 1: mean they've been suspended for the three they have some
6:04
Speaker 1: sort of appeal and.
6:06
Speaker 3: Again just sort of reading between what we've seen in
6:09
Speaker 3: the press, I think they've gotten tool. Is it Wednesday
6:10
Speaker 3: at ten am or is it Tuesday at ten pm?
6:14
Speaker 3: Whatever it is, it's going to We're going to know
6:16
Speaker 3: within the next four to five days, certainly where where
6:19
Speaker 3: they're going to be at and what happens. I think
6:21
Speaker 3: everyone wants to see them be able to sort their
6:26
Speaker 3: sort their sort of issues out. No one likes to
6:28
Speaker 3: see it, but I suppose it can be the nature
6:31
Speaker 3: of the be sometimes when you're going through a transition
6:33
Speaker 3: with new ownership coming in. And obviously they got knocked
6:35
Speaker 3: back on their their planning application by the government in
6:38
Speaker 3: terms of the new Harveyside project, so I'm sure that's
6:41
Speaker 3: sort of had had some ramifications in the in the
6:44
Speaker 3: takeover that was due to happen.
6:47
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it's Saturday today, no game, I don't
6:52
Speaker 1: know what I'm gonna I'm going to have to spend
6:54
Speaker 1: the afternoon with a missus. This afternoon I hate it.
6:56
Speaker 1: It's Saturday is strictly football, and yeah, I'm gonna really
7:01
Speaker 1: miss it. But yeah, as you're saying, I mean Absolutely
7:02
Speaker 1: United a big club. I mean Gray's ended Northfleet. We
7:06
Speaker 1: used to play them all the time back in the
7:08
Speaker 1: seventies and eighties quite regularly. Remember a Kent Senior Cup
7:14
Speaker 1: tie up there. At one stage it was pouring with
7:17
Speaker 1: rain and I think it was a me and a
7:18
Speaker 1: very young Richard. Richard Murrell was standing behind the goal
7:23
Speaker 1: and I think we were too nil down and I
7:25
Speaker 1: think we won three two something like that. It was.
7:27
Speaker 1: It was an incredible game. But yeah, and also I
7:30
Speaker 1: remember going to Great Center, Northfleet when they had the
7:32
Speaker 1: new flood lights put up and they played Nottingham Forest
7:35
Speaker 1: who at the time were the European champions and bought
7:38
Speaker 1: the European Cup down with them as well, and that
7:40
Speaker 1: was good evening. I think Forrest won seven nil. But yeah,
7:46
Speaker 1: so that's really not good for Absolutely United. Hopefully they
7:52
Speaker 1: get themselves sorted out. Do you know if we will
7:54
Speaker 1: have to replay the or play the game at a
7:57
Speaker 1: later stage.
7:58
Speaker 3: I think that's how it is at the moment. Yeah,
8:00
Speaker 3: they've only suspended, so it'll be rearranged. I thought for
8:02
Speaker 3: a Tuesday night unless obviously both teams are out of
8:05
Speaker 3: cut runs and there's a Saturday available. So but yeah,
8:08
Speaker 3: that's that's all all that we've been made aware of yet.
8:10
Speaker 3: So I'm sure more news will come. Yeah, Wednesday next week.
8:14
Speaker 1: Hopefully it will be good for Absolutely United. Anyway, we
8:17
Speaker 1: play another record, We'll do a bit of technical stuff
8:20
Speaker 1: here and hopefully everything will be fine. This one's called
8:23
Speaker 1: Scouting for Girls. This one's called She's So Lovely.
8:39
Speaker 3: Off off Way.
8:40
Speaker 1: She fills her false freckles. There you go, scouting for
9:00
Speaker 1: girls and She's so lovely. That's not one of mine
9:03
Speaker 1: I put in, So I quite like that one. Okay, Yeah,
9:07
Speaker 1: we've got a question here from our friend mister Duncan Saunders.
9:11
Speaker 1: Surprise surprise crowd segregation. First one to be chelmsas city
9:18
Speaker 1: we believe appears at segregation segregated area will be standing
9:22
Speaker 1: only for away fans. What part of the ground will
9:25
Speaker 1: this be? Assume the cricket ground and turnstiles toilets bar.
9:29
Speaker 1: But don't we have an obligation to provide seats? Also?
9:32
Speaker 1: Can we confirm which part of the ground is for
9:35
Speaker 1: a way standing fans.
9:37
Speaker 3: Yeah, so currently we will be using half of that
9:40
Speaker 3: Morrison's end. I think it's on the match day info.
9:44
Speaker 3: We've done sort of a bit of a welcome to
9:47
Speaker 3: the outline in terms of where people can be in
9:49
Speaker 3: various other sort of outlets like the shop, the bar,
9:51
Speaker 3: area's toilets, et cetera, et cetera. So for the shelms
9:54
Speaker 3: of one it's I I don't think they're going to
9:57
Speaker 3: bring a lot, but I think it's more the intel
9:59
Speaker 3: that mary Are Security got from Kent Police and Essex Police.
10:04
Speaker 3: I think there's obviously they've had their troubles with a
10:06
Speaker 3: few fans over the last few years Chelmsford, so I
10:09
Speaker 3: think for us as well, it's sort of is a
10:11
Speaker 3: good dummy run as well to make sure that we're
10:13
Speaker 3: all ready for probably the Kent Games, Kent Derby Games
10:16
Speaker 3: that they will be segregated. So it's just making sure
10:19
Speaker 3: that we're we're doing things correctly and you know, yet
10:23
Speaker 3: Duncan is right, there is a standard that we have
10:26
Speaker 3: to provide. We have got a little bit of time
10:29
Speaker 3: to be able to do that anyway, So for the
10:31
Speaker 3: moment they would just be standing.
10:33
Speaker 1: I suppose we are. Another question from Duncan was regarding
10:38
Speaker 1: excuse me, site lines from Grandad's stand and the Harvey
10:42
Speaker 1: Grammar end. The pitch is now a long way from
10:44
Speaker 1: both of these stands. Both stands are antiquated. That's a
10:48
Speaker 1: long word for Duncan. Is there a long term vision
10:52
Speaker 1: for improvement of these stands and if so, can we
10:55
Speaker 1: have some initial idea what the vision might be.
10:59
Speaker 3: Yeah, So there's going to be announcement on week Friday
11:03
Speaker 3: about the vision for the club, which will be followed
11:06
Speaker 3: by a fans forums Froke public consultation early September. I
11:10
Speaker 3: won't say anymore because I'll probably be giving away a
11:12
Speaker 3: lot of what is going to be discussed in the
11:14
Speaker 3: coming week. So, but yes, it is. There are things
11:18
Speaker 3: coming there.
11:19
Speaker 1: You go heard it first on Radio Focus one five
11:21
Speaker 1: point nine. Look forward to that announcement. Hopefully that will
11:25
Speaker 1: be something we all want. Okay, steering away from politics
11:31
Speaker 1: a bit. Somebody's put here Wembley f a trophy final
11:37
Speaker 1: or promotion to the National League. You have to think
11:42
Speaker 1: about that one.
11:42
Speaker 3: Yeah, because you said FA trophy. I think I think
11:45
Speaker 3: a day out in Wembley would be goodouldn't it. I
11:47
Speaker 3: think reality is you know we all want promotion. The
11:51
Speaker 3: challenges we've had coming up into this level, I think
11:54
Speaker 3: if we were to have another one so soon as
11:56
Speaker 3: in this year we're talking, might be a step too far.
12:00
Speaker 3: We could end up being almost the whipping boys of
12:03
Speaker 3: going up to the National League and sort of go
12:05
Speaker 3: back to Duncan's question before there is you know, there's
12:08
Speaker 3: certain requirements and commercial opportunities we would need to really
12:13
Speaker 3: compete at a National league level, hence the improvements that
12:16
Speaker 3: we need to do around the ground in the stadium.
12:18
Speaker 3: So I think answering that question, yeah, an f a
12:20
Speaker 3: trophy cut find at Wembley with the.
12:23
Speaker 1: Great I can only see. Say, you know, when you
12:25
Speaker 1: dream and you have visual dreams, I mean probably the
12:30
Speaker 1: most visual dream I've ever had is folks and playing
12:32
Speaker 1: at Wembley, and we've never been close. I think the
12:35
Speaker 1: quarter final of the FA of Ours under Nil Kuggly
12:38
Speaker 1: many years ago, I think was the nearest we've ever got.
12:41
Speaker 1: So yeah, a day out of Wembley and then I
12:44
Speaker 1: can sit in the media area and that would definitely
12:48
Speaker 1: make my day. I could assure you of that one. Okay,
12:51
Speaker 1: so f a trophy it is, you did say somebody
12:56
Speaker 1: else has asked when the next fans forum will be.
12:58
Speaker 1: You've obviously do you have a date for that one yet?
13:03
Speaker 3: Yeah, we do. It's going to be early September, so
13:04
Speaker 3: waiting till everyone's sort of back from the holiday season,
13:07
Speaker 3: schools are back, so yeah, it'll be that sort of
13:09
Speaker 3: first second, well second week in September. But I say
13:12
Speaker 3: the announcement will goat week Friday, I think the twenty
13:14
Speaker 3: eighth of the vision for the club moving forward, and
13:19
Speaker 3: then a forum will follow a week.
13:21
Speaker 1: Or two after there you go, So hopefully you'll all
13:24
Speaker 1: we get down to the dugout for that one. I
13:28
Speaker 1: think I want to be fairly fairly.
13:29
Speaker 3: Busy, Yeah, hopefully. I mean, look, it's we need sort
13:33
Speaker 3: of all the support and engagement we can now because
13:35
Speaker 3: the discussions we've had over the last three years with
13:37
Speaker 3: the council have been I suppose positive, constructive, but you
13:41
Speaker 3: know they're just conversation. So we really now need to
13:44
Speaker 3: strike while the are on top with weather club club's
13:47
Speaker 3: going in terms of our achievements last year. So yeah,
13:50
Speaker 3: I thingers cross we can get there and support for that.
13:53
Speaker 1: Okay, so answer that my question somebody to ask this
13:57
Speaker 1: season we start the FA can't in this second qualifying round.
14:02
Speaker 1: How far do you want us to go?
14:05
Speaker 3: I think I've always said I'd like to get to
14:06
Speaker 3: the first round, you know. I think we were unfortunate
14:10
Speaker 3: last season just to get to the fourth qualify although
14:13
Speaker 3: South End was a great day out again. But I
14:15
Speaker 3: think we could get to the first round and maybe Paul,
14:18
Speaker 3: you know the likes of a Cheffel Wednesday or Leicester
14:20
Speaker 3: because they come into it at that level of being
14:22
Speaker 3: in League ones. Quite believe I'm saying lesser in League
14:25
Speaker 3: one only win in the Premier League what ten years ago?
14:27
Speaker 1: But that one's for you, Daves Moss.
14:30
Speaker 3: Yes, I mean that would be That would be great,
14:33
Speaker 3: you know, to have those sort of runs like like
14:35
Speaker 3: Maidstonehead and Ramsgate a few years ago. You know, I
14:38
Speaker 3: think we'd get some exposure. I'm not really too fussy
14:40
Speaker 3: with it'd be down to our place or away, probably
14:42
Speaker 3: being selfish, have it away because you'd share the gate
14:45
Speaker 3: and there's bigger crowd opportunities there.
14:46
Speaker 1: And you say that, Josh, but you know when you
14:50
Speaker 1: play these Football league clubs away, they don't even if
14:53
Speaker 1: they've got bigger tendencies, they don't tend to come out
14:56
Speaker 1: for the FA Cup games. The FA Cup. I love
15:00
Speaker 1: the f A Cup, don't get me wrong, but it
15:02
Speaker 1: has lost a lot of It's yeah, that's just sparkle.
15:06
Speaker 1: You know. If we was, say, for instance, like we
15:09
Speaker 1: had Leicester City and we played them away six seven thousand,
15:12
Speaker 1: maybe okay, that might be financially better for the club.
15:16
Speaker 1: But if we was to get Leicester City at home,
15:18
Speaker 1: I don't know, three and a half four thousand sellout,
15:22
Speaker 1: they wouldn't fancy coming down to Cheriton Road.
15:24
Speaker 3: You're right, I mean it's I think it was just
15:26
Speaker 3: you know, when you talk about sort of six seven
15:28
Speaker 3: thousand at Leicester or three at three at Chariton Road,
15:32
Speaker 3: you know the club would obviously get far a further
15:34
Speaker 3: revenues from being away, but at the same time, you look,
15:38
Speaker 3: it be still a great occasion either way, wouldn't it.
15:40
Speaker 3: I mean I was going to say, you know before
15:42
Speaker 3: it would be a replay, but they replay don't do that,
15:46
Speaker 3: which is a shame, it is. Yeah, but no, I
15:48
Speaker 3: think you know, you get the exposure hopefully with a
15:51
Speaker 3: TV game, you know, and I'm sure they'd do some
15:53
Speaker 3: sort of not documentary, but come down and do some
15:56
Speaker 3: sort of screenwork down at the ground and go around
15:58
Speaker 3: the town. I think it would really folks, And I
16:00
Speaker 3: know it's sort of all he is coming on the map,
16:03
Speaker 3: but certainly more so on.
16:04
Speaker 1: The Yeah, I agree. I mean, you know, I mean
16:07
Speaker 1: the f A Cup. I think I remember talking to
16:10
Speaker 1: you just when you joined the club. The last time
16:14
Speaker 1: we actually played an f A Cup first round game
16:16
Speaker 1: at home? Can you remember?
16:18
Speaker 3: You say it was the year we won the World Cup.
16:20
Speaker 1: It's correct, Yeah, great Swansea Town nineteen sixty six. It
16:26
Speaker 1: was the last time we played an f A Cup
16:28
Speaker 1: first round tay Atcher and road we have played obviously
16:33
Speaker 1: two thousand and five. Yeah, when they're up at halftime.
16:36
Speaker 1: Lost to Oxford ninety eighty two, lost five too. We
16:43
Speaker 1: were lucky to only lose by five. I think that
16:45
Speaker 1: don't But yeah, I mean those are great days out
16:48
Speaker 1: for folks and fans. I mean they are becoming more
16:52
Speaker 1: South End united. As you mentioned earlier, that was a
16:55
Speaker 1: fantastic day out, great support from us. Unfortunately the first
17:01
Speaker 1: twenty five thirty minutes we didn't show up. After that,
17:04
Speaker 1: I thought we played quite well and I think just
17:09
Speaker 1: before I think it was a season before you joined,
17:13
Speaker 1: we got to fourth qualifying round again Mertha Tidville Away
17:19
Speaker 1: went to nil down quite early on, battered them for
17:21
Speaker 1: the about eighty minutes, couldn't get one, so again another
17:24
Speaker 1: chance of gets into the first round. Squashed Slough Town
17:31
Speaker 1: in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round again another one
17:33
Speaker 1: conceded an early goal, lost one nil, but I did
17:36
Speaker 1: win the golden goal for that one. So I won
17:40
Speaker 1: forty quid so and folks and lost, but I'd rather
17:42
Speaker 1: it have been the other way round. But yeah, I
17:45
Speaker 1: mean the FA Cup, like you say, it brings you
17:48
Speaker 1: next to revenue and puts a club on the map,
17:52
Speaker 1: and hopefully I've always wanted to be on Telly. Yeah,
17:56
Speaker 1: I mean that slough Tower Town game in the first
18:00
Speaker 1: round they played Rochdale. It was live on Sky or
18:02
Speaker 1: TNT Sports whatever it was then, so every time I
18:06
Speaker 1: was watching again, that could be us, that could have
18:07
Speaker 1: been chair and wrote if only Adi had stuck his
18:11
Speaker 1: leg out a little bit further things like that. But yeah,
18:14
Speaker 1: I mean, I love the FA Cup. And hopefully we
18:17
Speaker 1: start in the second qualifying round so we only have
18:18
Speaker 1: to win three games to get through to the FA
18:22
Speaker 1: Cup first round. So fingers crossed right, So we've done,
18:27
Speaker 1: all those ones still were still plenty of what's names
18:30
Speaker 1: to go. Let's have a question from Andy Brown. He
18:37
Speaker 1: sent me in an email. I'm not sure if you
18:40
Speaker 1: can answer this question latest on the ground ownership and
18:43
Speaker 1: purchasing off the council that.
18:46
Speaker 3: Sort of coincides with a little bit, yeah said so, yeah,
18:50
Speaker 3: I mean, look, there's been proposals and things put forward.
18:56
Speaker 3: You know, I think the Council of relatively were receptive
18:58
Speaker 3: to it, but we've got few obstacles with our neighbors
19:01
Speaker 3: next door so and that's not the Bowls Club, So
19:05
Speaker 3: it's yeah, you know, it is challenging, and ultimately we
19:09
Speaker 3: wouldn't be able to make the improvements that we would
19:12
Speaker 3: want to do unless we own that site because we
19:14
Speaker 3: only have another nine years left on nine ten years
19:16
Speaker 3: left on the lease, which we obviously are discussing with
19:18
Speaker 3: them as well. So yeah, it's coming to a bit
19:21
Speaker 3: of a pinch point. I remember meeting the council three
19:24
Speaker 3: years ago and said, you know, we've got thirteen fourteen
19:26
Speaker 3: years on our lease. And I said, but what I
19:27
Speaker 3: don't want to be doing is having conversations to conversations
19:30
Speaker 3: because we can see ourselves being five years away and
19:32
Speaker 3: then lo and behold, we're still in the same position,
19:35
Speaker 3: but the lease is still going down. And what we
19:36
Speaker 3: don't want to be in a position is, you know,
19:38
Speaker 3: to find ourselves with three or four years left and
19:41
Speaker 3: you know, then potentially no home. So we're certainly pushing
19:45
Speaker 3: that and on their case. And equally for funding, you know,
19:47
Speaker 3: with the grants that I was touching onto about with
19:50
Speaker 3: the stadium funds, you need to have a minimum of
19:52
Speaker 3: ten years, so to you know, we're on that cusp.
19:55
Speaker 3: Now where if I you know, to draw funding and
19:58
Speaker 3: grants in, isn't it wouldn't be.
20:01
Speaker 1: I mean I can remember when Folks and Victor started
20:04
Speaker 1: over at Cheriton Road. I was there from day one
20:06
Speaker 1: with Gary Steerforth and one of your processes, Yeah, Tom Guiver,
20:13
Speaker 1: when we opened the gates of the changing rooms and everything.
20:16
Speaker 1: It was it was a mess, but it was it
20:20
Speaker 1: was fairly straightforward with the council back then that they
20:23
Speaker 1: got a twenty five year lease quite quickly. I mean,
20:27
Speaker 1: I mean you said there's only nine years left on
20:29
Speaker 1: the lease. Is you're not really looking for the lease
20:31
Speaker 1: this time? You want to purchase the ground rather than
20:34
Speaker 1: lease it.
20:35
Speaker 3: Well, I mean Ultimately, I'd like a nine hundred ninety
20:37
Speaker 3: nine year lease minimum one hundred and twenty five years,
20:40
Speaker 3: certainly for any investment to go in at substantial level.
20:43
Speaker 3: But you know, ideally he'd like to own the site.
20:45
Speaker 3: But they're the two options that we've floated to the council.
20:50
Speaker 3: But we're sort of, yeah, you know, let's see what
20:52
Speaker 3: happens in the next sort of three to six months,
20:53
Speaker 3: because I think we can start getting some momentum with
20:57
Speaker 3: support not just from folks and new Victor fans, but
20:59
Speaker 3: the comunity and what we want to do. Then that
21:02
Speaker 3: might change the direction of travel hopefully and the talk
21:05
Speaker 3: of whereby we're not just having the same conversations over
21:08
Speaker 3: and over again and not really getting anywherecause it's frustrating.
21:11
Speaker 1: Yeah, I can imagine your head against the fort wall
21:14
Speaker 1: with all the red tape. I suppose better more than that,
21:20
Speaker 1: we'll leave it there. Another question coming in off the internet,
21:24
Speaker 1: what is your realistic hope for this season?
21:28
Speaker 3: Yeah, I've been us sat quite a few times and
21:29
Speaker 3: I think, you know, realistically, a mid table finish in
21:32
Speaker 3: a really good cup run in either the FA Cup
21:34
Speaker 3: or the FA Trophy. You know, I think all of
21:38
Speaker 3: us would really love to be challenging in and around
21:39
Speaker 3: the playoffs, and I think, you know, probably between myself
21:43
Speaker 3: and Jay that's yes, secretly what we want to do.
21:45
Speaker 3: But you know, being realistic and coming up from where
21:48
Speaker 3: we've come from and you know how quickly we did
21:51
Speaker 3: it last season, you know, I think there has to
21:53
Speaker 3: be a reflection in terms of you know, there are
21:56
Speaker 3: twelve whatever teams at a full time you know, larger
22:00
Speaker 3: squads than us as well, and you know they've got
22:02
Speaker 3: an extra four games then potential if you have good
22:04
Speaker 3: cut runs, so you're looking into well over fifty games
22:07
Speaker 3: this season. So yeah, it's yeah, we're going to learn
22:12
Speaker 3: a lot as a club and you know, not so
22:14
Speaker 3: much j Parking, Blackie Coauld I've managed at these levels
22:17
Speaker 3: and Jay obviously higher, but I think as a club,
22:20
Speaker 3: and you know, the traveling, you know, I think we've
22:23
Speaker 3: now got twelve or fourteen coach trips. Last year was
22:27
Speaker 3: four and we've got four overnights one starting next month
22:30
Speaker 3: to Turquie, so that's a financial financial implication as well.
22:34
Speaker 3: So yeah, I think it's been realistic and as long
22:36
Speaker 3: as you know, they're put in good performances and they
22:39
Speaker 3: wear their hearts and the sleeves, and the fans can
22:41
Speaker 3: see that they're working as hard as they can do,
22:44
Speaker 3: and you know, we're exciting to watch. Then, you know,
22:48
Speaker 3: I think mid table would be a fair, fair and
22:51
Speaker 3: reasonable sort of achievement.
22:53
Speaker 1: I think if you finish eighth, I believe it is
22:56
Speaker 1: this season, we will be in the playoffs. Is it eight?
22:59
Speaker 3: Is it?
22:59
Speaker 1: I think it was seventh, but you could be Yeah,
23:02
Speaker 1: you could be right, because the top championship with your
23:05
Speaker 1: blackbone shirt on there. Yeah, yeah, we won't talk about
23:09
Speaker 1: that robbed last night if you watched it. Penalty in
23:14
Speaker 1: ninety third minute, never amble anyway. Yeah, I believe the
23:18
Speaker 1: top team go up, but then the next two are
23:22
Speaker 1: exempt from the playoffs and it's.
23:24
Speaker 3: Almost like a quarter finals. So yeah, it's second and
23:28
Speaker 3: third go straight into the semis and then fourth, fifth,
23:31
Speaker 3: sixth and seventh sort of a quarter final, then semi final,
23:34
Speaker 3: then yeah, final.
23:36
Speaker 1: So hopefully we'll be in one of them places we
23:42
Speaker 1: live in hope. Well, we can stick another song on.
23:44
Speaker 1: This is Duran Duran and this is something I should know,
23:57
Speaker 1: Simon Labong and the boys. Deran Duran is there's something
24:00
Speaker 1: I should know? Okay, if you didn't know already, we
24:05
Speaker 1: got Josh Heay in the studio this morning, the Folks
24:08
Speaker 1: in the Victor Chairman. We're asking questions all about Folks
24:11
Speaker 1: in the Victor this morning. I've got another one hear
24:14
Speaker 1: from the the Facebook page. Are there any plans for
24:20
Speaker 1: overnight stays for supporters on the long trips away?
24:24
Speaker 3: I e.
24:24
Speaker 1: Truro, Western, super Mare and Talkie United.
24:29
Speaker 3: What for us to put fans up in hotels?
24:31
Speaker 1: Well for the opportunity. From what I can gather, I.
24:35
Speaker 3: Think it's just travel, you know, for us to do that,
24:38
Speaker 3: it's you know, it's logistically tough enough with getting sort
24:42
Speaker 3: of the team and the management with twenty five getting
24:44
Speaker 3: all sorted, so to add further cot not complications, but
24:48
Speaker 3: other people and commitments change. I think in terms of
24:51
Speaker 3: people to sort their away travel out, I think it
24:54
Speaker 3: should be down to them. We'll obviously put on the
24:56
Speaker 3: buses that has been announced over the last couple of
24:58
Speaker 3: weeks so everyone can see what the costs are there.
25:00
Speaker 3: But I think diving into block booking hotels and stuff,
25:04
Speaker 3: I think we're opening ourselves.
25:05
Speaker 1: Up to it. And it was just a question that
25:07
Speaker 1: was asked, so yeah, I thought that probably would be
25:09
Speaker 1: the answer. I mean, I've I've obviously booked the weekend,
25:12
Speaker 1: which has been quite nice for me because I'm doing
25:15
Speaker 1: Cardiff that weekend anyway, so I'm halfway there, so that's
25:18
Speaker 1: that's quite nice. But I will miss the horseh and
25:20
Speaker 1: game at home unfortunately because I'll be in in Cardiff.
25:23
Speaker 1: But yeah, that's answered your question. Lung season, we started
25:28
Speaker 1: off with a decent squad, then added a certain mister
25:31
Speaker 1: Joe Pigott in the squad in September. Do you know
25:36
Speaker 1: of any plans to sign another star player?
25:41
Speaker 3: I'll be giving it away, wouldn't I really if I did,
25:43
Speaker 3: But I think the reality is, you know, the Premier
25:47
Speaker 3: League and the failed sort of transfer wind. Joe shuts
25:50
Speaker 3: at the end of this month thirty first or the
25:51
Speaker 3: first of September. Look, Jay Parking black Hire always on
25:56
Speaker 3: the lookout and always having discussions, so you know, I
25:58
Speaker 3: suppose watch this space. I wouldn't say no, we're not
26:01
Speaker 3: going in there, but you know, depending on how we
26:05
Speaker 3: start and if someone comes available that Jay likes, it's
26:08
Speaker 3: no point just getting someone for the sake of it.
26:10
Speaker 3: Obviously with Joe, Jay knew him from Mayson previously and
26:14
Speaker 3: knew what he was about, and you know, it's characters.
26:17
Speaker 3: I think it's one thing that Jay plays on. It's
26:19
Speaker 3: not just getting a star like and they need to
26:21
Speaker 3: fit into the dressing room. And so yeah, I think, look,
26:25
Speaker 3: they're always on the lookout for players and if someone
26:28
Speaker 3: comes available, then we can sit down as a as
26:31
Speaker 3: a club, me and Jane, we'll discuss it and then yeah,
26:34
Speaker 3: move forward on that basis. So but yeah, no, I
26:36
Speaker 3: think you know, it might it might not be September.
26:38
Speaker 3: It could be could be October November when when things happen,
26:41
Speaker 3: or it might be a loane loan to buy of
26:43
Speaker 3: something like that, you know, similar to to Woodyard. You know,
26:46
Speaker 3: he came on and loan, not that anyone really knew,
26:48
Speaker 3: but we'd sort of already structured a deal anyway for
26:50
Speaker 3: him to sign for this season. So yeah, there could
26:53
Speaker 3: be that that that potentially could happen.
26:57
Speaker 1: There you go have that answers your question. Your favorite
27:01
Speaker 1: game from last season.
27:03
Speaker 3: I would say it was two. Actually they're all sort
27:07
Speaker 3: of in and around that sort of bank holiday weekend
27:09
Speaker 3: and then into September, So I think the all I
27:12
Speaker 3: know it sounds strange today, but the Sint Albans game
27:16
Speaker 3: at home, but it was at at Margate getting that
27:19
Speaker 3: last minute winner, and I thought, then that show that
27:22
Speaker 3: gave me a bit of confidence, I think, where this
27:25
Speaker 3: team doesn't stop until the end, and then to go
27:28
Speaker 3: and beat Chatham two days later on the bank on
27:31
Speaker 3: the bank of a Monday, and then obviously beating Maystone
27:34
Speaker 3: two or three weeks later in the FA Cup. So
27:36
Speaker 3: I would say that those two games really stood out
27:38
Speaker 3: for me. Earlier on I thought we've got a chance
27:41
Speaker 3: here potentially. But then obviously I won't ever forget the
27:45
Speaker 3: Sint Alban's day as well. So but I think I
27:48
Speaker 3: go back to I'd always remember walking away from that
27:50
Speaker 3: game thinking we've got something here, and that I would
27:53
Speaker 3: say it was the Sint Aubans same game.
27:54
Speaker 1: Ye for me, I think it's probably the Chatham Town
27:57
Speaker 1: game away that was we never did. We never do
28:00
Speaker 1: very well at Chatham. They always seemed to uh just
28:04
Speaker 1: get one over, honest, like they did in the over
28:07
Speaker 1: Christmas period. But I don't think we were at full
28:10
Speaker 1: strengthen that game by any means. I think we had
28:12
Speaker 1: a few injuries.
28:13
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a really tricky time for us there because
28:15
Speaker 3: you know, Pigs had obviously got pretty ill with well
28:18
Speaker 3: which actually subsequently was Quincy, so he had tons of
28:21
Speaker 3: lagers and it was went to Quincy, so it was
28:23
Speaker 3: pretty ill. Addie obviously got concussion. Quite that was happened there.
28:27
Speaker 1: That was a terrible challenge. Yeah, right in front of us,
28:30
Speaker 1: that one, and it was it didn't look good, no,
28:32
Speaker 1: and you.
28:32
Speaker 3: Know the slow mo on it. Yeah, it was a
28:35
Speaker 3: real sort of head shoulder crunch at the same point. So,
28:38
Speaker 3: and then there was other I think was the Branchy
28:40
Speaker 3: then break his leg, I think it was, Yeah, I
28:42
Speaker 3: think it was. Then Ike got injured in the av
28:44
Speaker 3: Le game, so yeah, yeah, where I think we had
28:46
Speaker 3: sort of five or six key players that were out.
28:49
Speaker 1: And yeah, I think it was Black. He was on
28:53
Speaker 1: the bench for a couple of them, wasn't it Parky.
28:55
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, So and that that's sometimes what happens. You
28:59
Speaker 3: can just suddenly, how I thought, unfortunately, have sort of
29:02
Speaker 3: five six injuries to keep personnel and then you are
29:05
Speaker 3: a little bit light. But you know, look at look
29:07
Speaker 3: at Dowking last year. They should have should have run
29:11
Speaker 3: away with the national sealth than they were. And so
29:13
Speaker 3: I think effectively ten eleven players were injured in their
29:17
Speaker 3: running for the ten games and obviously slipped out of
29:20
Speaker 3: top top spot and then lost out in the playoffs.
29:23
Speaker 3: So you know it can happen, and you just need
29:25
Speaker 3: it with any I think with it winning any league
29:27
Speaker 3: or being successful and need a little bit of luck
29:30
Speaker 3: with regard to injuries.
29:32
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I mean obviously this season we there's
29:36
Speaker 1: seven could be named and use any five. So that
29:41
Speaker 1: has Jay mentioned that you know he needs more a
29:46
Speaker 1: bigger squad this year.
29:48
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, something we discussed what we need a bit
29:50
Speaker 3: more depth. That doesn't necessarily mean it's we're going for
29:53
Speaker 3: real experienced players. I think it's you just need to
29:56
Speaker 3: be able to utilize the squad in more more capacity
29:59
Speaker 3: than what you what we were last season. And that's
30:01
Speaker 3: just think because the number of games, as we touched on,
30:03
Speaker 3: if you have a few good Cup runs, you're over
30:05
Speaker 3: fifty games, and at any level that's quite quite a bit.
30:08
Speaker 3: So yeah, that's where the loan market will. You know,
30:11
Speaker 3: you'll see as again, like all of these levels, you'll
30:13
Speaker 3: see players that are coming and going in the next
30:15
Speaker 3: sort of four to six weeks as things settle down
30:17
Speaker 3: and naturally when teams are shall we say, coming out
30:21
Speaker 3: of cup games and where they may have acted in
30:23
Speaker 3: a bit of revenue, then they might have to cut
30:24
Speaker 3: their squads in other bits, or they need players to
30:27
Speaker 3: go out and loan from league cups.
30:28
Speaker 1: So I mean also, don't forget Absolutely United. I mean,
30:31
Speaker 1: if they they do go down or you know, they
30:37
Speaker 1: are suspended from the league, a lot of their players
30:40
Speaker 1: will probably become available in their good players. Yeah, well
30:44
Speaker 1: I don't know how that works. Yeah, one contract, but.
30:47
Speaker 3: Well yeah, I think the majority are on contract. So
30:49
Speaker 3: unless the club essentially yeah, which it wouldn't do because
30:53
Speaker 3: it would go an extinction, but it wouldn't go into
30:56
Speaker 3: the receivers first, then obviously they are there players and
31:00
Speaker 3: the receivers will probably want some money for them. What
31:02
Speaker 3: that worth is not I don't know, but yeah, I
31:04
Speaker 3: think they would have to They would be tied to
31:07
Speaker 3: the club until whenever their contracts run out. But I
31:09
Speaker 3: don't know that the legalities on them to be quite.
31:12
Speaker 1: Frank, hopefully for them it won't it won't happen. But yeah,
31:15
Speaker 1: I mean I get what you mean about the players
31:18
Speaker 1: comings and goings. Another question this has come on the
31:23
Speaker 1: sports desk An anonymous fan. I'll promise you it's not
31:26
Speaker 1: from me. Please. Can you ask Josh when they're going
31:30
Speaker 1: to change the music and the runout song? And can
31:33
Speaker 1: they turn the PA down inside the Granddad's Stand and
31:37
Speaker 1: turn it around the rest of the pitch.
31:42
Speaker 3: That's as opinion, isn't it. Really?
31:44
Speaker 1: I'm saying nothing.
31:45
Speaker 3: I think I think Jay wants to keep it so
31:49
Speaker 3: as in the walk on Walkout song in terms of
31:51
Speaker 3: the noise or the decimal level, shall we say, in
31:54
Speaker 3: the Commande Stand. Then I'll ask you Ady to turn
31:57
Speaker 3: it down. You're in the PA.
31:58
Speaker 1: I get asked quite regularly to get it turned down,
32:01
Speaker 1: and then Charlie comes in there and tells me to
32:04
Speaker 1: turn it up, but no, I do get it in
32:08
Speaker 1: the in the Grandad's Standard is quite loud, but the
32:10
Speaker 1: rest of the ground it is still a little bit.
32:12
Speaker 3: It's because it's so open, So I get that.
32:15
Speaker 1: When I, you know, the start of the game, I
32:17
Speaker 1: always walk around to see if every speaker's working, and
32:20
Speaker 1: it sounds great, but of course once you've got a
32:23
Speaker 1: thousand people in there, it's a little bit muffled, and
32:26
Speaker 1: you know, it does lose a lot. But also that
32:30
Speaker 1: that speaker outside the PA box isn't working. Yeah, it
32:34
Speaker 1: is working, and.
32:34
Speaker 3: It's not I think Nick car guy there is coming
32:38
Speaker 3: down and sort that before the Champs game. So yeah,
32:40
Speaker 3: I notice that the weekend.
32:42
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's it does lose a lot. That one is
32:45
Speaker 1: quite key. I will say I did. I did mention
32:48
Speaker 1: it a little while ago. But it's like everything else, You've.
32:51
Speaker 3: Got all parts of it because it's a lot of
32:53
Speaker 3: it is patch and repair, you know, until you want
32:56
Speaker 3: to put something in that should be lasting for many
32:59
Speaker 3: many is you're always just just painting over sort of
33:03
Speaker 3: small cracks in there. Get that maybe, don't get me wrong.
33:06
Speaker 3: If we can well people will see what our vision is,
33:09
Speaker 3: then there will be a different story.
33:12
Speaker 1: Watch this space. Okay, you have what to be got
33:19
Speaker 1: any plans to develop and add to your media team?
33:22
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, we are. I think that was one of
33:24
Speaker 3: the things that sort of again I see little bits
33:27
Speaker 3: on the forum and highlighted. But one one thing I
33:29
Speaker 3: saw with Walden Hersham. They had I think a media
33:31
Speaker 3: team about four or certainly three in our old media tower,
33:37
Speaker 3: and it's something that we are working on. There will
33:40
Speaker 3: be an announcement next week with someone added to that team.
33:44
Speaker 3: So yeah, I'd like I say, it's like with everything,
33:46
Speaker 3: you know, going up a league, you know, expectations on
33:51
Speaker 3: what I would necessarily say are our minor things, but
33:53
Speaker 3: not to everyone. I know that the social media stuff
33:55
Speaker 3: is very key to probably our younger generation and getting out.
33:58
Speaker 1: So another one here for Duncan. He was saying that
34:03
Speaker 1: the what and How hersham account was out quickly and
34:06
Speaker 1: had four times as many hits as ours, which came
34:08
Speaker 1: out a few days later. Young fans are very media
34:11
Speaker 1: savvy and getting youngsters in the future of the club. Yeah, well,
34:16
Speaker 1: you know that's key.
34:17
Speaker 3: Well, I think with the four hits that they have got,
34:20
Speaker 3: if you're talking on the YouTube numbers, they have got
34:23
Speaker 3: twenty one thousand followers on there and we've only got two.
34:26
Speaker 3: So there's probably their audience straight away is going to
34:29
Speaker 3: They're going to get more hits from from theirs than
34:31
Speaker 3: ours just because of the amount of followers. And I
34:32
Speaker 3: think if I'm writing saying that the Walton and Hersham
34:37
Speaker 3: sort of shall we say directors are our youngsters and
34:40
Speaker 3: I I think I want to say they sort of
34:42
Speaker 3: earned a few quiting Crypto, so you know that that's
34:45
Speaker 3: obviously one of their key key bits. I'm not particularly
34:48
Speaker 3: good on that other stuff, but you know, I know
34:50
Speaker 3: that Anthony has reached out to us and he needs
34:54
Speaker 3: further help, so we're going to look at that. And
34:56
Speaker 3: you know, I know from speaking with others that go
34:59
Speaker 3: to universities up and around sort of the London areas
35:01
Speaker 3: that clubs like Dullage we'll use and lean on university
35:05
Speaker 3: students to do their media stuff because that's what they're
35:08
Speaker 3: doing at their courses. So that's probably a conversation for
35:10
Speaker 3: us to get into the local college around here what
35:13
Speaker 3: they're doing and if we can help them with their
35:15
Speaker 3: experience through that and they can come and help us
35:17
Speaker 3: on match days and get bits out, then yes, certainly
35:20
Speaker 3: all for it.
35:21
Speaker 1: Yep, I have. That's answered all your questions. So an
35:24
Speaker 1: announcement being made later this week, next week, this week
35:27
Speaker 1: wherever you want to call it. Just before we go
35:31
Speaker 1: off air, we've only got a couple of minutes left.
35:34
Speaker 1: Just a little mention for Sue Ryder. Bingo is going
35:40
Speaker 1: to be at the Three Hills on the twenty first
35:42
Speaker 1: of September. My wife is running a charity bingo there.
35:46
Speaker 1: Should you wish to go, please call in at the
35:49
Speaker 1: Sioux Rider Shop in Chariton for any more details. Promises
35:53
Speaker 1: to be a fun night on the twenty first of September. Well, Josh,
35:58
Speaker 1: we've come right to the end. Thank you very much,
36:00
Speaker 1: are coming in this morning. I hope all the fans
36:03
Speaker 1: are happy with everything that's going on. In any last words, no, just.
36:09
Speaker 3: Keep supporting and says you have been over the years.
36:11
Speaker 3: You know, we want to grow the club. We want
36:13
Speaker 3: to We don't want to stay in the National South.
36:16
Speaker 3: We want to grow. But obviously that takes time and
36:18
Speaker 3: you know, in the next couple of weeks there should
36:20
Speaker 3: be some exciting news for them to to be happy
36:23
Speaker 3: about and to hopefully support us along that way. And
36:26
Speaker 3: you know, let's let's keep on the keep the wave,
36:28
Speaker 3: the good wave riding.
36:30
Speaker 1: Well that's what we like to hear. But everything positive
36:34
Speaker 1: going forward to the Alkaline Stadium. Then don't forget no
36:37
Speaker 1: game for folks in Victor this afternoon. If you're going
36:40
Speaker 1: to Ebsfleet, you've got a wasted journey. But so you
36:42
Speaker 1: can join me and Charlie on Tuesday evening. If you're
36:45
Speaker 1: not going to the Gallagher Stadium, tune in to Seasiders
36:49
Speaker 1: Radio for four match commentary from the Gallagher Stadium from
36:53
Speaker 1: seven to forty. Once again, thank you very much Josh
36:57
Speaker 1: for coming in this morning. We're going to leave you
36:59
Speaker 1: with this one and i'll be back with keV on
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Speaker 1: next Saturday. Take care, Thank you very much for listening.
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Speaker 1: Basy babe h.
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Speaker 2: I can't sign my head so much. It happens, and
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Speaker 2: honestly I'm past it.
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Speaker 1: I'll just sad o the magic.
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Speaker 2: I think it might be sound by somebody.