After eight years, Faversham Town have begun the search for a new boss following Ray Turner’s shock resignation last weekend.

In one of his first in depth interviews since his departure, Ray has been talking to KSN football editor Mike Green about his time in the Salters Lane hot-seat.

In the first part of the interview, Ray looks back on his side at Faversham where it could be said that he created a side that many will agree have regularly punched above their weight…

We started at the end as we spoke a couple of days after his resignation was announced.

“I didn’t wake up with any regrets,” Ray told us.

“As I said before it was a considered decision – one in the best interest of the club which obviously because of the length of time involved does mean a lot to me. The position felt as though it needed someone to come in and freshen things up.  I’ve slept quite well since and have met with the new Chairman and it was clear in his eyes that I wasn’t going to change my mind and the statement was published and it is time for me to move on!”

“I think that it’s around eight years in charge in total, but I do know that it’s something like 400 games in charge which is probably a longer spell than a lot of managers get these days.”

“When you go to the same place three or four times a week for that amount of time, it’s almost like a second home.  But that said, I do admit that the decision was a lot easier than you may think.  Once I looked at the club and what it needs, it made my decision quite easy and it wasn’t about what I wanted at the time, although I wasn’t so much holding back, but everyone runs out of steam at some point and if you’re honest enough to yourself, then I think that that’s the time to step aside and let someone come in and reinvigorate everything.”

“So actually, the decision in the end has been in my gut for a while – I basically turned to Clive (Walker) about ten minutes into the second half on Saturday (of Faversham’s FA Trophy defeat to Sittingbourne) and said “that’s me done!” and he knew I was serious and I think that it is the right one for the club.”

Turner and Walker had become a formidable team in the Faversham technical area down the years.  So just how did Ray’s number two take the news?

“Clive comes from a slightly different background when he’s seen it and been there many, many times and seen it through both the professional side and the non-league side and he’s probably a bit upset about things, not talking for him, as we’ve formed a very close bond, as I owe him a lot with what he’s done for me, and I very much doubt if at the time, they (the Faversham board) would have trusted what I was at the time which was youth team manager going to reserve team manager when we won the double in the Kent League – I very much doubt whether I would have been trusted with that position at that moment in time.”

“But with Clive standing alongside me, they probably thought that it was a fairly safe bet that I had enough time to learn off him and make myself a better manager.  And I think that over the years – I hope that I have – made myself better at the job and much of that is down to him and his advice along the way.”

And how did the players react?  “I think it was a shock to the majority.  I think that the players need a new voice and that’s what I said to them – they’ve got a little bit comfortable and I think that that’s been showing in their performances and I think that if you can be objective enough, which is hard to do on the touchline if you don’t take a step back – I think that some of the players who have played for me throughout my time – Matt Bourne springs to mind – and I brought in some more experience this year as I thought that they were the players needed.”

“I think that there are a lot of young players with some tremendous ability, but there’s a big difference in the ability to the mentality of playing non-league football week in, week out.”

“And I felt as though we had that in the dressing room this year, so it’s going to be sad to leave some of them as loyalty works both ways, from manager to player and then from player to manager and I’d like to think that I’ve looked after them and they’ve given the same to me for many games as well.”

“I’ve had many messages but as we all know, things move on and I’m sure that they’ll be more than capable of playing for the new man when he comes along.”

We then turned our attention to the Faversham faithful and their reaction.  “I don’t know about it being a surprise,” Ray admitted.

“I think that we created an expectation level at the club – if I’m honest for a lot of my time at Faversham, I think we over achieved, but I felt that I was under achieving with the group that I’ve got at the moment and so that was the time to really scrutinise what we’ve done at the club by creating a level of expectation.”

“You then create pressure on yourself and the team as people expect to turn up and see you towards the top end of the League and really the history of the club and the size of the club suggests that that’s not a given for any club at our level.”

“Many big clubs have struggled to get through our level and then jumped through the subsequent Leagues because it’s so inconsistent our League. To consistently be up there and create that expectation has been great and I think that they, as all supporters, want that every year and that’s not always possible in football.”

“But equally it’s important for me to recognise that if it was on the downward slide, that I don’t take the club backwards and we get the new man in. The crowds have been on the up and been great this year – I think that when I took over they were around 120 and now they’re well over the 200 mark which is another important aspect for the club and the business part of the club and I don’t want to lose that support through bad performances”

“I’m hoping that the interest in the new man coming in will bring in and the bounce that he can get with the side will keep those supporters there and the club will keep building beyond what we’ve done.”

Tomorrow Ray looks back at his time in charge and gives his view – which will surprise many – on the changes in step four football over the last decade, and what’s next for Ray Turner, Football Manager.