An interview with: Rich Styles and Dan Morrin

Whitstable approached it in the right way and after a weekend of deliberating it we said yes. We did ask a few players not mentioning what was on the table to see if they would come with us, it’s no good getting into a new club and finding it a struggle to attract a decent side to put together.

There were players at Tunbridge Wells that we wanted to work with again, take Matt Gething, first season with 35 goals and missed two months of that as well, we wanted another crack with him.

RS: If we were going to move it had to be the right move and fit in with our aspirations. It wasn’t a rushed decision and we made sure that we got the answers to the questions, it’s the kind of challenge we want to get our teeth into.

TK: And I guess as well it’s a compliment to the pair of you that instead of going for someone who has the experience of Isthmian League for 10-20 years they recognised the stability you brought to Tunbridge Wells.

RS: It’s a big club and I don’t think this early we fully understand yet how big it is, the amount of people undertaking roles which come from being that one step higher, it feels like an Isthmian League club and having been part of SCEFL clubs for six years you can see the difference in things. But they are a SCEFL club now and it’s about getting it right on and off the pitch and we know we’ve got a job to do to make it happen.

TK: I think the response you both got on social media to the news that you were leaving Tunbridge Wells for Whitstable Town shows how well you had built up the relationship in West Kent.

DM: Yes, I think you’re right there, we’ve had some fantastic messages and we’ve not burnt any bridges, the Wells chairman has been great with us and now we need to replicate that at Whitstable.

It’s not an easy out at all, the Whitstable chairman has given us our targets and aspirations for the season, we knew of course what they were before we said yes to the job. We are well aware that any sign of underachievement we’re both out of a job very quickly, its pressure we’ve not had before at either Lordswood or Tunbridge Wells, something we have to get used to from day one.

TK: The Culverden Stadium has always had problems with drainage right back to the days when my younger brother used to turn out for the club, how much are you looking forward to having a 3G pitch at The Belmont and which surface is the preference for you both?

RS: In terms of a pitch I prefer grass, a carpet, a really good surface but the 3G surfaces you see going down now and the technology surrounding them which we’ve learnt a lot of over the past week is impeccable now, it’s so different compared to that of the past and from a business point of view I totally get it in the direction non-league has to go.

I said to a player this week I wouldn’t be surprised to see well over 50% of clubs at Step 5 and above with a 3G surface because it’s what they need. It brings so much to the community and it’s a 24/7 operation, no need to have to find a training venue and it pays for itself with its constant use.

The scenario of not having games called off is something myself and Dan are not going to be used to, but it helps our preparation fourfold that we’re not going to get pitch inspections on a Saturday morning and a possibility of no football that afternoon.

DM: We’re old school aren’t we! I mean it was sand based astro back then, cut your knees to shred and couldn’t walk for a week, the kind of thing you get from B&Q or Tesco!

As Rich said we certainly found out a lot about it already last week, this level of gradient, different shockwave technology, I mean there’s about 14 different types of rubber pellet you can put down, you can have a cork option, it’s a whirlwind to understand.

I love grass but it’s not how the game’s evolving and each year the 3G surfaces get better all the time, more like the grass. I am looking forward to no fixture backlog either, that can really hamper things for a team even if you’re going well.

RS: Just looking at last year we trained in about five different locations trying to make it work and then you end up training at 9-10.30pm as it’s the only slot available, it will make life a lot easier not just for us but for the players too.

TK: Similar to Tunbridge Wells where you could sell it to players about playing in front of a good number of support, is it just as easy now to do the same about Whitstable with what’s going on with the pitch and the aim to go straight back up?

RS: Absolutely! In the last week between us we’ve spoken to around 100 players, that’s some we’ve talked to and others who’ve shown an interest to us in wanting to come here. We’ve spent a couple of evenings at the club where players have come down because they want to see what’s going on, it’s different for us in terms of where we were working to where we are now, we’re right on the other side of Kent.

TK: Longer for me to come and see you both, might have to be an overnight stay that one!

DM: Definitely earnt your beer and burger if you come to Whitstable!

RS: Haha, that can be arranged though! We’ve certainly got no qualms about player availability and we’re excited by what we see happening whenever we go to the club.

TK: Is the pitch the first part of a vision for the club with more to come as time ticks on?

DM: Yes that’s the first part, brand new dugouts and pitch surrounds and then new floodlights as well which is Phase One. Then new changing rooms will form Phase Two, it was hoped that would be done within the first part but time constraints have delayed that a little and then some further improvements to the ground as well.

TK: Is there any other facility with a 3G surface around Whitstable?

RS: The closest would be at Herne Bay who are also putting a surface down this close season but nothing else around. It’s a great advantage to us for it to be brand new compared to maybe the ones at schools and colleges that have been down for a few years and no need to go up the road to find somewhere to use.

Ours is already block booked in some cases and of course with the bar and everything it’s such a financial gain for the club going forward.

TK: Target is obviously promotion, is there more built in with a good run in the Vase or maybe win a cup as well?

DM: We’d love to win it all, wouldn’t we!

TK: Well Littlehampton this season wanted that at the beginning of the season and finished with a treble and almost a quadruple.

DM: We haven’t won any silverware yet so we must be due for some to come our way, promotion is the number one goal and that’s just the beginning, the chairman wants to go higher than one more step.

We’d love to go far into the Vase, luck of the draw to see how we get on in that and league cups I’m sure we can right there in amongst it.

TK: Are we looking at two up again next season or play-off’s do you think?

RS: I think it might be points per game again beyond the champions, we really need play-off’s at Step 5, last season after we went out the Vase with about 10 games to go we were 9th and the season we just wanted to end with nothing to play for.

TK: It seemed a little bizarre to have play-off’s at Step 6 but Step 5 had to play off against a side from Step 4.

RS: That was a little odd and hopefully there’s some change around it this time.

DM: It just gives everyone more to play for knowing that if you finish 6th the season goes on even if you have a poor start at whatever level you’re at. So many games just petered out before the end and that’s not what you want to see.

My thanks to Rich and Dan for their time and wish them all the best as they embark on the new challenge at Whitstable Town.