Ahead of the biggest game in the Club’s history tomorrow afternoon, Sittingbourne manager Ryan Maxwell has been speaking about the Brickies unsung heroes. 

“It’s going to be an incredible day backed by phenomenal support!” Maxwell told us. “A tremendous day and it will be amazing to see so much red and black at Roots Hall in the stands, it will be incredible for everybody!” 

The Brickies manager then paid tribute to his Chairman, Maurice Dunk. “An incredible day even more so for Maurice for instance. We have people at the club who have been there for a long, long time and it will be a very special day for them. And I really hope that they take it all in and enjoy every minute of the day!

“Mo deserves so much credit as he’s been working his socks off. He’s had his own problems and health issues, not that you would know it as he just soldiers on and gets through it.

“He’s still in a band and is full of life, he’s quite a man is Maurice, an inspirational man and he’s been a big drive with what is going on behind the scenes at the club in terms of the new ground, massively important in those developments! And he’s been a great friend to me since the first day I came to Woodstock.

“We speak probably every other day and he’s doing all he can to help and he deserves a lot of credit for all the work that he has and continues to put in, I hope he really does have a great day as he certainly does deserve it.” 

Director and “Mr. Sittingbourne” John Pitts was another the Brickies boss spoke fondly about as he said, “John will miss the game sadly as he’s away with his wife, but he’s been in contact every other day and he’ll have keen eyes on the game from across the world.

“I know that he’s gutted to be missing out but can only say that the family are very much in our thoughts and with us. The Pitts family are a massive part of this Football Club, I am well aware of that.

“The fact that so much effort has been put into the club for so long by the likes of John and his brother Peter who we sadly lost last year, and Saturday will be the reward for those people, and it is a real shame that John and Sandra won’t be there but they will in spirit that’s for sure.

“I will be mentioning them on the day because it’s an example of how much hard work people put in over years with very little in return, and then you get a day like this and hopefully it will all seem worth it to them – they will certainly be in our thoughts certainly!” 

There was one more member of the behind-the-scenes team that Maxwell spoke about and praised – Vice Chairman Andrew Marjeram. “We speak every day and he is a real, real good friend and is so excited for the weekend.

“When I spoke to him yesterday, I could tell how excited he was about the game, we had a laugh about it but deep down I know that he is like a kid in a sweet shop right now!

“Time moves very quickly and it only seems like yesterday that we were having conversations about me coming to the club, and that was now two years ago, and now we’re on the verge of the biggest game in the club’s history.

“Football has a way of giving you special moments and journeys and I’m sure that he didn’t expect this one. So, as I have told him and everyone else, please try and I enjoy it. I know that he will be in among the fans despite being the Vice Chairman and could be watching it in the box, but he will be with the fans for sure! I’ll probably even hear him,” Maxwell joked! 

“He’s a proper fan as much as anyone else and again it’s just part of the fabric of the club and what it is built on, it is built on good people, loving the club with honesty, purity and again I am just delighted for everyone attached to the Football Club.” 

“What a day it’s going to be! We have had so many want to get involved – film training and on the day and the buildup, and I’ve said yes to everything because the club will remain when I am gone and everyone needs to remember the whole day.

“It’s going to be a fantastic day, I do have a job to do in amongst all this to prepare my team to give Southend the very best battle I can possibly give them, so my focus is one hundred percent on the game, but I am well aware whats going on outside and I would like everyone to absorb it, take it all in and enjoy every minute of the day!”