Ringmer FC placed into administration

Click title above for full story by the Sussex Express

Published Date: 24 November 2008
Ringmer Football Club have been placed into administration, it has been announced.
The move comes after a long-running dispute about the ownership of the ground between the club's directors and the trustees.

COUNTY ONE ROUND UP

Click Title Above for full round up, from the Argus

BRIAN DENNIS insists he will not get carried away after his Eastbourne United side went top of the division one table.
Brad Manton scored twice as United beat Worthing United 4-0 to climb above Ringmer at the summit.

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No 22 RFC Weekly Newsletter

Our reserves recorded a great win on Saturday beating Hailsham reserves 2-1 at the Caburn. A lot has been said about our reserves this season and I hear that it wasn’t too pretty in this hard fought battle - who cares a? - I don’t care how we did it to be honest. We moved 3 points closer to safety and although it’s a long way to go, it was a move in the right direction. Well done to all involved especially Neil and Geoff who have not had it too easy of late.

Our first team travelled to Surrey (Sussex County League? I’ve never understood that one) and we met a Redhill side now managed by John Crumplin, the ex Ringmer manager. John strikes me as a manager who desires football management at a higher level - hardly surprising when you consider his playing experience I guess. The Redhill side is geared up to have great pace - particularly up top. We lost the game 2-1 and not actually due to their pace as we matched them in every department. I think a draw would have been a fair result but because of a defender unfortunately losing his footing a draw was not to be.

The Ringmer haters (in particular the train spotters on the Nonuthin Forum), will tell you we’ve won 3 from 10 but if you look at the statistics you’ll see that all teams are winning and losing hence our league position which is now third from top. Lets not forget too we don’t pay wages either - yeah we pay expenses but the majority of players could play for clubs and earn wages but they choose to stay with us. I hear of one County League side playing £300 a week for one player and I’m reliably informed that the average County league weekly budget is £700 a week now. Incredible huh? I spoke with one manager recently and he commented that he was disgusted that at the end of a game (which they lost) he’d have to pay his players when quite clearly he felt that his players weren’t worth the big money being paid.

There’s two training sessions this week. On Tuesday night 7.30 till 9pm at Falmer for a workout then on Thursday night at the club. It may well be a training game again, we’ll see.
Next Saturday our front side play Wick who will come to the Caburn having lost to us earlier in the season. 3 points in this one could see us move back to top place and yes, it would mean 3 points closer to safety too (yawn).

Our ressies travel to Arundel to play the Sussex Int Cup game postponed from a few weeks ago.
See you all on Tuesday night.

SATURDAY'S COUNTY ROUND UP

Click title for full story from the Argus 15th Nov round up

No 21 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Saturday came and Saturday went and we find ourselves back top of the County League dispatching Oakwood 1-2 at their place. Without Jayson Sowter, Chris Greatwich, Craig Brown, Dan Craghill, Dave Altendorf and Ryan and Aaron Macmillan absent we still pulled ourselves from a one nil deficit to win the game. We should all recognise the strength of our squad.

We meet Redhill next at their place next Saturday which will prove to be a big test. The ex-Ringmer manager John Crumplin manages Redhill now having left Crawley Down recently for the Division one outfit. Redhill, very much like Ringmer, have had their own ground issues and I read somewhere that they had sold their ground for about £700,000 I think. One imagines they now have somewhere to go when the deal goes down? Horsham, I recall, sold their ground and now play their football at Worthing. I guess the lesson there is be careful with your ground if you own it…….

Lewes don’t own their ground and we all watch with interest as to what potential investors actually buy when (and if) they do a deal. I dunno much about these things but if you were buying something surely it has to have a tangible asset and if you were big into football you’d buy a side perhaps that weren’t looking at probable relegation. If and when its sold I wonder what’ll happen to their 18s, ladies and reserves?

Sorry - went off on one there. Training is for all squad players on Tuesday night at Falmer 7.30 till 9. Everyone is to attend this session to be in consideration for either senior side. Be aware we are leaving out around 12 players each week now - work hard, train and you have every chance of being involved. On Thursday night, weather permitting, we will have a training game behind closed doors. This is not an open game for all to see - it’s a training game that we’ll be doing assessments from. You’ll be notified if you’re involved.

We all went to watch the reserves play in some cup or the other on Friday night. The outcome was that we can continue to focus all our efforts on our league programme and climbing up the table to ensure we stay in the reserve premier league. Some of you might expect me to say more about the game - but you’d be wrong.

On Saturday the reserves are at home against Hailsham Reserves in what will be a 6 pointer. I have a feeling this one will go our way. We’ll see a?

I read that the ex Lewes Bridge View and Ringmer player from last term, Matt Davies, has been selected for the England 18s selection finals. Matt is a great fella and a great talent, and his dad Roger is a good friend. I know they get this Newsletter and from all of us at Ringmer Matt, well done. Its your talent and nothing else that brings you success.

The Herve and Oliver King memorial game is now confirmed to be played on Sunday 30 November at Croydon Athletic’s ground, 3pm ko. There is a coach going which will cost £10 each and the tickets are £5. They expect 3000 people there including (I’m told) Ian Wright and John Salako. Call me asap if you want to come - I have only got 100 tickets. For the record, a game will be held soon at Ringmer in which all proceeds will be given to Sarah, Herve’s partner.

County Round Up 08/11/08

Click Title above for full story

By Bruce Talbot of the Argus
THREE Bridges scored twice in the last 15 minutes to beat Chichester and take over at the top of division one.

Charity match being held in memory of tragic West Croydon brothers

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FORMER teammates of tragic Croydon footballers Oliver and Herve Kingonzila will be going head-to-head later this month in a special memorial match.
The talented brothers died within months of each other earlier this year, and money raised from the game will go to their stricken family.
Herve, 27, died from a heart attack in February while playing for Sussex team Ringmer FC, while 19-year-old Oliver was stabbed to death outside the E Bar in South Croydon this September.

by Dave Burke

This is Croydon Today

No 20 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

On Friday afternoon we looked at the pitch, the water that laid on it and the weather forecast and knew we’d have a tough time getting the first team game with Arundel on. Overnight rain and a second look meant we had to call a ref to confirm that the pitch was unplayable. Arundel may feel that they would have really wanted to play having come off the back of seven (I think) winning games on the bounce. But we too felt good about the encounter as we had 5 players back after suspensions, holidays etc. So we’ll meet them another day.
On the subject of Arundel I think they must be candidates to be somewhere at the top come the end of the season. I’ve seen them play twice in the last few weeks - against Selsey and against Pagham - where they came out winners twice and I have to say though I thought they didn’t look world beaters. I thought that their passing and movement was not as quick or effective as some I’ve seen at this level but I guess that can be a mark of champions - winning games but not necessarily playing great. I think they are a good side but I think all teams in division one will lose games and it should make for a tight finale at the top of the table.
At the other end of the table I went to watch Hassocks take on Horsham YMCA. YM running out winners 0-2 and Hassocks, I have to say, are in a bit of trouble. They have to be very careful or they’ll be in a fight for survival come the second part of the season after Christmas. I look at the league table and see that we are 15 points away from safety and Hassocks seem to be 30 points away from the same assurance of County one football next term.
Our scheduled game for the reserves against Arundel (by coincidence) followed ours in the no chance stakes. To be fair although they’ve spent a fortune on their pitch it is still situated next to a river. Which is wet. So it was off. The next reserve game is next Friday night against Peacehaven reserves, 7.45 ko. Apparently they’ve spent a load of dosh on their pitch so it’ll be interesting to see if it looks like Wembley or a ploughed field after the recent weather. We all look forward to this fixture. I think all reserve games should be on Friday nights. You’d get all the clubs supporting their sides on a Friday night then all the club with the first teams on Saturdays. In these days of clubs trying to do stuff to generate better revenue, this surely would be a good option.
On Saturday the first eleven travel to Oakwood in the County League division one and both me and Steve will be pleased to see Si Greatwich, Aaron Mac, Dave Altendorf, Craig Brown, Dan Craghill, Ryan Mac and Chris Greatwich all return . Problems with selection in front of us no doubt.
Training is at Falmer 7.30 till 9pm. See you there.

County League title race hots up

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By Bruce Talbot of the Argus
PAGHAM are back in the thick of the title race after toppling leaders Ringmer.
The Lions won 3-2 to go level on points with Ringmer in an increasingly competitive title race.

No 19 RFC WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Most of you will know that Herve King’s brother Oliver was killed recently. I have been contacted by a friend of mine, Steve Ibbotson, who in turn has put me in contact with Andy Brogan of Croydon Athletic who has made arrangements to play a charity game in memory of Herve King and his brother Oliver. It will be at Croydon Athletics ground on Sunday 30 November at 3pm. They are sending me down 100 tickets that they are asking us to sell. They are £5 each so e-mail me a nes-sales@btconnect.com if it’s a game and an event that you can be at. We are organising a coach and there will be a charge of £10 per person for those travelling. The squad on that day will be as close as possible to the squad that played on the day Herve died, with the exception of Jack Johnson who is in the USA. Steve Johnson, Paul Thompsett and Ian Fairs will manage events on the day as they did on that Saturday. Croydon expect some 3000 people to be in attendance.
I went to look at our pitch on Sunday after the game on Saturday which resembled a game of water polo. The pitch is damaged but hopefully with a bit of TLC we’ll get it back into good condition for the next home game which is against Arundel next Saturday, 3pm ko. I wish I’d called it off before we started, as the ref certainly wasn’t going to as the game progressed. The trouble is that if I go on about it “should have been stopped” people say its sour grapes but the Pagham bench and I agreed that it should stop when the game was all equal at 1-1. Any road up Pagham to got the rub of the green in the last 15 minutes and scored twice to our one goal. Pagham winning the event 2-3. For the record, we had Dave Altendorf, Craig Brown, Simon Greatwich Aaron Macmillan, Ryan Macmillan, Dan Craghill, Chris Greatwich and Jayson Sowter all unavailable for the game.
Our reserves battled out a contest in equally Noah’s Ark type conditions running out second best in this (apparently) dire contest.
So not a great day for Ringmer FC on the face of it. BUT with Redhill losing we still remain the top side in the County, adding to the frustrations of the Ringmer haters that are so desperate for us to fail.
I went to watch Selsey play Arundel during the week. Mate that is a long way down there innit. Talk about the back and beyond. By the time you get there its time to come home. Gotta say though what a lovely place. Nice pitch and nice civil people from both sides. Arundel ran out winners 3-1(?) and I’ll reserve my view on the game till later as we play Arundel next as I said earlier.
There is a members meeting tonight at the club to have a vote regarding a move and re-location. Most of you already know about this meeting and you are advised that if you want to have a say in the clubs future, its 7.30 for 8 at the Caburn. Bring your Members card if you’re coming.
Training is not yet confirmed for this week. A text will be sent tonight to notify you all.