New Kent FA CEO Darryl Haden has been talking to Kent Sports News about his new job and his excitement about the future.

In his first interview since taking over from Paul Dolan, the new CEO has been talking to KSN.

“It was a very daunting start,” Darryl admitted to us. “First of all, I was very delighted to be appointed as I’ve worked for the County for a long time working my way up through the various ranks.”

“It was daunting because until you actually sit in the chair and are in the role, I don’t think that you actually appreciate the scale of the job that you’ve got. But that said, I’ve been in the job two or three weeks now and am absolutely loving it.”

“I got the first Board Meeting and Council Meeting out of the way and so I’m now really looking forward to the start of the season and that as an organisation we support all of our clubs and League right the way across the County.”

“One advantage that I think I’ve got, is that I’ve been at County for a while now and know a lot of the characters and they know me as well. It wasn’t as daunting as an outsider coming into the organisation – it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but it was still an experience that I won’t forget!”

So “who is Darryl Haden?” we wanted to know.

“Darryl Haden is a former player,” came the response. “I played for Ashford Town, Folkestone Invicta, Hythe Town, Erith and Belvedere and finished up playing for Lydd Town in the first year of the Invicta League and so finished playing at the age of thirty-six or thirty-seven.”

“I started my coaching when I was still young with Pat Hilton and have done degrees in Sports Science and a Masters Degree in Sports Development and ended up working at the Kent County FA as a Football Development Officer.”

“As well as working here, I also volunteer at my local club where my son plays and so I feel that I understand what our volunteers are facing on a day to day and week to week basis – doing all the jobs that are associated with grassroots football that no-one else seems to want to do!”

“I am passionate about football; am a season ticket holder at West Ham; I think we’ve got a really strong network of clubs in Non-League and it would be fantastic if one of the Ebbsfleet’s, the Dover’s, Bromley’s or Maidstone’s make that step into the Football League to give us another club to challenge the Gills – if you think back a while to the games between Gillingham and Maidstone in the old Division Four, they were fantastic games and it would be great if we could get back to that level of having more than one League club in Kent.”

“Away from football, there’s not a lot to be fair. Married with two children – my son plays football, whilst my daughter hasn’t got an interest in the game, but has just this week admitted that she wants to play the game – I work in football and at weekends I’m volunteering and if I’m not, I’m off to see West Ham!”

Turning our attention to his new role, we asked Darryl to explain how he sees his “new team” continuing the work of his predecessor.

“It’s really important for us as an organisation as we’re dealing with clubs and Leagues on a day to day basis and if you’ve got someone who understands the issues that they’re facing, it’s far easier to build that trust and that relationship!”

“A great example of that is Matt Dixon, who has “ticked” all the boxes – player, secretary and League secretary – and has come in as Competitions Officer. He immediately understands when people phone up with queries exactly what they are as he’s had them himself in his various roles. It is so important for all of us at the Kent FA to be familiar with all the issues that our Clubs and Leagues are facing.”

On day one what is the one thing he’d like to change if he could we asked. “It is a touch frustrating that we only have one League club when you look at some of the other County FA’s around the country as a whole. Manchester is a prime example – I was on a training day recently and my equivalent in Manchester started reeling off the clubs he’s got under him and who come to his awards evening – Man City, Man United, Oldham, all big established Football League clubs and we’ve got Gillingham.”

“They’ve done really well recently really establishing themselves in League One and wouldn’t it be fantastic for them to have a good season this year to get them back up into the Championship, maybe which would be fantastic for us as a County to them to get back to that level of football.”

“It would do so much for this County to get another Club into the Football League and if you look at the contenders -for Maidstone it would be a fantastic jump but whether they could with their pitch is for the authorities to discuss if, and when it happens.”

“Look at Dover – what a great catchment area if Chris Kinnear could lead them to making the jump…  same Ebbsfleet and with Bromley who are both doing big things themselves and look quite strong.  If any of them actually made the jump, it would aid us hugely going forward as a County – it would be a shot in the arm for the whole county…”

In part two of our exclusive interview with Darryl, we’ll look at the problems he’s inherited and hear what the new Kent FA CEO thinks about the falling number of those playing “traditional” football.