New Ramsgate boss Nick Davis has been talking to KSN this week about one of his former clubs nearly twelve months since he left the Sittingbourne hot seat.

“It’s been almost a year now since I left Sittingbourne,” Davis told us, “and have very fond memories of Southwood – yes very pleased!”

“I started at Sheppey this year as a number two and had a good time there before being offered the same role at Phoenix.  It was a new experience for me that I thoroughly enjoyed after five years as a manager at Sittingbourne, so it was good for me to go and look at how other people do things. It was a learning curb for me at two clubs with massive potential and I had a good time!”

Davis then spoke of his time at Southwood as a player – a time he clearly remembered very fondly.  “I was skipper at Ramsgate under Jim and Danny (Ward) – one of the most successful sides that they’ve had in thirty or forty years and I’m sure that they won’t mind me saying that,” Davis said.

“What we did in the Premier season of 2007/2008 and won the Ryman League Cup was quite remarkable really and it was arguably the best year of my career – that was a special time for me!”

He then spoke of his disappointment for his predecessor Lloyd Blackman. “I’ve always got on well with Blackie – he’s often helped me out and he’s a good guy and has a decent football philosophy behind him.”

“It’s always a shame when a manager loses his job and I sent him a text before it was even thought that I might get involved. I had no idea why he resigned at the time, so I spoke to him and felt for him.”

“I got his feelings about things and so when Ramsgate contacted me, I got in touch with him straight away to let him know as I like to do things the right way and I wanted to be fully up front with him, but at the end of the day things like this happen – that’s football!”

“It’s a small world football and if you go about things in the right way – that’s the way that things should be done and it’s the way I will always do it.”

“I always said that my next job would be for me the big one and would need a massive decision. The time at Sittingbourne was a huge learning curve throughout for me and after being restricted towards the end there, where I felt that I deserved more for what we achieved last year, I wasn’t going to take the first job that came along – it had to be THE right opportunity and when I sat down with the guys at Ramsgate and heard about their ambition and heard what they had on the table, it was exciting and you can only go on what people say to you, and it sounded sincere!”

“I’ve known Jim many years – I played 200 plus games for him for Maidstone, Sittingbourne and Ramsgate – and we’ve had our ups and downs, don’t get me wrong, is someone as a person whether you like him or not, Jim Ward has won a ridiculous number of trophies at Non-League level and is hugely respected.”

“I was taken aback if I’m honest with the ambition that I was shown – I probably wasn’t expecting it if I’m honest – it all happened very quickly and went in with an open mind and I was taken back, I really was.”

“It’s all about the ambition for me as I want to manage and coach for as long as I can – and if I can do that with Ramsgate Football Club all well and good.”

“It’s going to be difficult don’t get me wrong – there won’t be an immediate turn around, but they do have some very good players that Lloyd has got together but there’s nothing easy to bring success to any level.”