There are lots of people within the non-league game I consider as a friend, be those players, managers or supporters. A contact book I’ve built up over a number of years, some through acquaintances and other through just simple messaging and grabbing a chat on social media or at a game.
And with that you know I don’t limit myself to any one particular area of the pyramid, that also has some asking me about players from all over the place knowing I see a fair bit and a fairly good understanding.
Of course I’m not the only who has a decent database of players nor the ear of managers across the game, and in each small way we all play our part of getting the spotlight shone where it doesn’t get enough attention still at times.
Steve McKimm left Cray Valley PM last week along with his assistant Barry Moore and coach Mark Watson after two and a half years in charge. I’ve known Steve since his time at Tonbridge Angels, one message one day to ask if he fancied an interview for this blog and he gladly obliged, the rest as they say is history.
But what a lot of history in between. Dispensed with by the Angels in possibly not the best of scenarios, having kept the club in the division as per his brief at the start of the 2021-22 season the club decided that wasn’t enough and out the door he went.
No bitterness shown, which is just his character, but a defiance to be back and able to show that it hadn’t scarred him with a point to prove. A short spell at Carshalton Athletic seemed something of a stopgap for me, again slightly badly treated in my opinion but then came the job.
When the Millers then chairman Frank May managed to lure Steve to the Arctic Stadium, for me something of a coup. A guy with a decent playing career at the top levels of the non-league game and having managed well one league off the top division of the semi-professional game was heading to Step 4 and into a club that was progressive on and off the pitch.
Sometimes you look at that and think will it end in disaster or elation? Disaster because the ability to manage above doesn’t always translate into success below, or elation because players are willing to drop a step or two and play for the manager they know has the ability to get them up the ladder again.
June 2023 was a time when the Millers history was just beginning to be added to, and a season that changed the course of the club. Record runs in both the Isuzu FA Trophy and the Emirates FA Cup took the club to the 1st Round for the first time in that history.
Drawing local neighbours Charlton Athletic was the icing on the cake, a trip to The Valley live on TV saw them not overawed and the huge amount of changes made by the hosts almost backfired on them, the Millers making the world sit up and take notice as they took the Addicks back to the Arctic Stadium for a replay.
Once again in front of the cameras, they were at one stage 1-1, but this time Charlton didn’t scrimp on the starting eleven and ran out 6-1 winners, the Millers though people were aware of the money made from the two ties ensured the club could continue their progress off the pitch with stadium improvements.
A season in which two other sides from their division, Ramsgate and Sheppey Utd, also made the same stage of the FA Cup, the former going one round further whilst leading the Isthmian South East Division.
With so much cup progress they were in action every Saturday and Tuesday from September through to the end of January. They kept winning, the Rams kept winning with the Millers constantly playing catch up from games behind and eventually got within touching distance.
Then came the faltering from Ramsgate and the opportunity for the Millers to snatch top spot which they did a few games from the end and took the title having not lost a single game away from home and a single loss at the Arctic Stadium, remarkable giving the amount of games played.
I had become involved as a programme column writer during that season from the beginning, watching good stories unfold for all the 13 clubs I write for and most from afar is fantastic to keep an eye on, not only that the eyes then getting on my work is something that you can’t put a price on.
Last season that success continued as they finished in the Isthmian Premier Division play-off’s and were within inches of the final before succumbing to Dartford and the end of the season.
This year has been quite the opposite and a real test for their management team. Having lost a few key players over the summer, including the goals of Freddie Parker, the form of the previous years’ hasn’t been replicated and the Millers find themselves in a relegation battle for that Premier Division status.
As per his departure from Tonbridge, no animosity shown despite possibly feeling he has credit in the bank on the face of the last two years. But the game is a scrutinised results game now, it’s always been a results game but the fear of being relegated does cause some owners to pull the trigger before they should.
McKimm believes he would have gotten the club out of trouble and safe, indeed they are now out of the bottom four after a weekend draw at Canvey Island but having played a few games more than most around them they are constantly looking over their shoulders, it’s something we’ll never know if it would have worked out for definite.
What we do know is all three of them won’t be out of the game for long, their CV’s stack up and with only a couple of months left in the season they might get the reflection time some don’t and get the moment to take stock before going again.
Some people just get football, some people are football, Steve and Barry are two of those guys and I can’t wait to see them back in a dug out somewhere. I also know they won’t just take any job out there; it’ll be one that feels right but don’t be surprised either if they take their time over the next move.
