Ramsgate F.C.

Ramsgate Football Club are a football team based in Ramsgate, Kent, England. They are currently members of the Isthmian League South East Division and play at the Southwood Stadium. The main local rivals of the club are Margate who are situated just 4 miles away. When the two teams meet, it is known as the Thanet derby.

Full nameRamsgate Football Club
Nickname(s)The Rams
Founded1945 (1886)
GroundSouthwood Stadium, Ramsgate
Capacity2,500
OwnerRichard Lawson
ManagerMatt Longhurst
LeagueIsthmian League South East Division
2019–20Isthmian League South East Division (season abandoned)

History

The earliest incarnation of Ramsgate FC had played since at least 1886 but folded in 1924, with local rivals Ramsgate Glenville taking over their Southwood Stadium. Glenville did not reform after World War II and a new club dubbed Ramsgate Athletic took over Southwood. The club retained the Athletic name until 1972.

Athletic played in the original incarnation of the Kent League from their formation until the collapse of the league in 1959. This was the club's best period for nearly 50 years, with two consecutive league titles, several county cups, and a run to the first round of the FA Cup. With the collapse of the Kent League the Rams migrated to the Southern League, where they initially did well but were forced to resign and drop down to the re-formed Kent League in 1976.

For nearly thirty years the club performed well without seriously challenging for promotion, but their fortunes changed in 2004 with the return of former manager Jim Ward. He led the club to two consecutive championships (Kent League Premier Division and Isthmian League First Division), taking the club into the Isthmian League Premier Division for 2006–07, which therefore offered the first derby matches for many years against Isle of Thanet rivals Margate. In the club's first season in the Premier Division the Rams finished in 9th place, and followed this with an even better season in 2007–08, finishing in 5th place to reach the play-offs, although they were beaten 2–1 in the semi-final by Staines Town. The Rams also won the Isthmian League Cup, beating AFC Sudbury on penalties at Dartford's Princes Park ground. The following season, however, Ramsgate finished bottom of the table and were relegated.

Stadium

Ramsgate (red shirts) take on AFC Wimbledon in December 2007

Ramsgate play their home games at the Southwood Stadium, Price's Avenue, Ramsgate, CT11 0AN.

Southwood Stadium was the home of earlier Ramsgate clubs Ramsgate Town and Ramsgate Grenville, and became the home of Ramsgate Athletic upon their foundation after the Second World War. The largest crowd registered at the ground was 5,038 for the visit of local rivals Margate in 1955.[1]

Supporters

The old logo of the club

In the 2007–08 season, Ramsgate's average attendance was 369, the twelfth highest figure in the Isthmian League Premier Division. For the visit of rivals Margate the crowd was 1,210, nearly double the attendance at any other match. The 2011–12 season had an average attendance of 159, 2012–13 was 157, 2013–14 was 269, 2014–15 was 248, 2015–16 was 207 and 2016–17 was 237[2]

Current squad

As of 18 September 2020.[3]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ENG Ed Harvey
2 DF  ENG Jerald Aboagye
3 DF  ENG Will Thomas
4 MF  ENG Lee Prescott
5 DF  ENG Jake McIntyre
6 MF  ENG Jordan Johnson
7 FW  ENG Tom Chapman
8 MF  ENG Mitch Chapman
9 FW  ENG Roman Campbell
10 FW  ENG Ashley Miller
11 MF  ENG Henry Arnold
12 FW  ENG Rory Smith
14 MF  ENG Farzad Haliday
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 FW  ENG Charlie Meade
17 FW  ENG Charlie Shonk
18 FW  ENG George Nikaj
19 GK  ENG Brannon Daly
21 DF  ENG Max Glet
22 GK  ENG Ollie Haines
23 DF  ENG Ben Wilson
25 MF  ENG Wes Henessey
26 DF  ENG Ryan Johnson
27 MF  ENG Theo White
30 FW  ENG Riley Twyman

Management

RoleName
First Team Head CoachMatt Longhurst
First Team AssistantLes Cleevely
First Team CoachLiam Taylor
First Team Goalkeeper CoachKieron Gooding
First Team PhysioHarriet Woolston
Under 23s Head Coach & Under 18 Liaison OfficerVinnie Jones
Football Development Manager
Under 18s managerIain Stead
Under 18s white managerLee Amos

Managerial history

Name Dates Achievements
Bob Harrop1978 – 1981
P.Gilbert1981 – 1983
S.Jest1983 – 1985
L.Smith1985 – 1989Kent Senior Trophy Winners 1988 & 1989
Vic Medus1989 – 1990
Bob Wickens1990 – 1992
Paul Rimmer/ Lennie Lee1992 – 1993Kent League Cup Winners 1993
Lennie Lee1993 – 1996Kent League Cup Winners 1994 & 1995/Kent League Charity Shield Winners 1994 & 1995
Jim WardJuly 1996 – June 2001Kent League Charity Shield Winners 1997/Kent League Champions 1999/Kent Senior Trophy Winners 1999/Kent League Cup Winners 2001
Peter HookJuly 2001 – March 2004
Jim WardMarch 2004 – April 2012Kent League Champions 2005/Kent League Cup Winners 2005/Kent League Charity Shield Winners 2005/Isthmian League Division One Champions 2006/Isthmian League Cup Winners 2008
Tim DixonApril 2012 – February 2014
Dean Hill & Mark Weatherly (Caretaker managers)March 2014
Justin LuchfordMarch 2014 – May 2014
Dean HillMay 2014 – January 2015
Simon HalseyJanuary 2015 – May 2015
Jim Ward/Danny WardMay 2015 – January 2017
Lloyd BlackmanJanuary 2017 – December 2018
Nick DavisDecember 2018 – September 2019
Jason LillisOctober 2019 – December 2019
Matt LonghurstDecember 2019 – Present

Honours

  • Isthmian League
    • First Division Champions 2005–06
    • League Cup Winners 2007–08
  • Kent League
    • Champions 1948–49, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1998–99, 2004–05
    • League Cup Winners 1948–49, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 2000–01, 2004–05
  • Thames & Medway Combination Champions' Cup
    • Winners 1959–60
  • Thames & Medway Combination Eastern Division Champions
    • 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61
  • Kent Senior Cup
    • Winners 1963–64
  • Kent Senior Shield
    • Winners 1960–61, 1967–68, 1968–69
  • Kent Senior Trophy
    • Winners 1987–88, 1988–89, 1998–99
  • Kent League Charity Shield
    • Winners 1994, 1995, 1997, 2005

Records

  • Best League performance: 5th in Isthmian League Premier Division, 2007–08
  • Best FA Cup performance: 1st round proper, 1955–56 and 2005–06
  • Best FA Trophy performance: 3rd qualifying round, 1969–70, 1975–76, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2012–13 and 2013–14
  • Best FA Vase performance:Quarter-finals, 1999–2000[4][5]

References

  1. Ramsgate Pyramid Passion
  2. "Attendances: Southern Counties East League Premier Division". Tony's English Football Site. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  3. "Squad". Ramsgate F.C. Archived from the original on 3 May 2008. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  4. Ramsgate at the Football Club History Database
  5. Ramsgate Athletic at the Football Club History Database
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