By now most will know that CTFC have been placed in the Ryman North Divison for next season. This is disappointing news as we had hoped, based on expectations from both the Ryman League and the FA, that the new expanded Divisons would have seen us moved to the Southern Division.

Fortune and circumstance around promotion, relegation and moves between Leagues have not favoured CTFC's case to move South. May of you like the CTFC Board have mulled over the various permutations that could have seen us move. Many of you like the CTFC Board still cannot second guess how all the pieces of the bigger picture were put together leaving this outcome. I guess we will get to hear more over the next few weeks - especially at the Ryman League AGM where the League Clubs have the opportunity to ratify the Constitution.

That said we are a progressive Club and need to move forward despite the resource issues playing in the North imposes upon us. The CTFC Board and Managers of the First Team  and Reserves have jointly given some considerable thought to how we can make a difference going forward to relieve some of the pressure and hopefully push on with a stronger on field presence next season.

Like many other Clubs we have looked to further reduce overheads. And like other Clubs with agile Managers and strong Youth Teams we have reluctantly decided not to field a Reserve side next season.

However we have 6 major positives for next season - our main two main sponsors are fully behind us giving us the financial stability critical in today's climate. Our new builds at the Stadium are beginning to draw in new revenues and our Football Academy is looking really positive for next season. We are continuing to develop the playing surface which is becoming a real grass attraction to visiting Clubs and other users alike. We are planning to host a Gillingham XI on Saturday 6th July at 1300hrs KO to launch the pre-season friendlies.

Oh and 7th ...an FA Cup run... well, maybe!

The news could have been better but looking forward we will make the best of our situation as we move into out 131st Year. We hope those that travelled North with us last season will continue to do so and hope to see more of our locals give us further support at home games.

Come on you Chats!

Jeff Talbot
Chairman CTFC

After his comments in the local press about the need for the club to play in Ryman One South next season, we spoke to club chairman JEFF TALBOT about the news that we all dreaded - that we would be playing in Ryman One North for the third season running next season.

We spoke to the Chairman at the Awards night, and he began by saying, "Its disappointing news as we had been looking forward to returning to the Southern Division.  But that isn't the case - it looks as though we're stuck in the North!  So we have to now sit back and reflect on that and we must try and take the positives one of which is the fact that we've now been joined by Sittingbourne in the North along with Erith and VCD.  So it looks like the county of Kent is being reformed in the North, so its not all bad news!"

The Chairman continued, "If you look at it and study where teams are it seems to have been a logical decision by the Football Association and indeed to some extent for the Leagues.  There are still some oddities that we're still scratching our heads about.  Sittingbourne will undoubtedly be disappointed but never the less they are local to us and one of our nearest clubs and we must look forward to playing them again and having two good derbies against them."

In Friday's Kent Messenger, the chairman painted a potentially bleak future for the club.  He said, "Its a very serious position that we find ourselves in and we have our board meeting after the Bank Holiday at the end of May, and we will have to consider how we go forward with this news.  Obviously there will be differing views on things and we as a board need to look at that.  The options undoubtedly are to go forth in the North or there could be other options - we could take a "sabbatical" if you like; we could step back and we could even discontinue!  So we are a live business and have that power in our hands.  So we just need to think about what we're doing and think about how our sponsors will take this disappointment and how our supporters will take this, and we'll come up with a sensible response once the heat of the initial upset has died down!"

One option that clearly faces the board is to resign from the Ryman League and drop a division to the Kent League, which is a move that Whyteleafe took a couple of seasons ago.  The chairman though, whilst not ruling it out, reiterated that any decision would be for the good of the club and no one else.  "I don't believe that a backward step would be unprecedented and whether there's a precedent isn't the question for us," Mr Chairman explained.  "Its whether or not it would be right for us and we need to understand what's right for us and whether the positives of having Sittingbourne, Erith and VCD there and whether that still offers us a way forward.  But until the board has been around the table and we're all satisfied, then we'll come out and explain what we're doing going forward!  And that will be by the end of the month - some of the board spoke about it at the Clubs Community Day at the weekend, but we need to know everyone in the club - the key stakeholders in the club are fully informed and have had their opportunity to say where they think we need to be - and that's what we'll do and we'll take a steady step forward by the end of May!"