Mark Stimson is the new manager at Isthmian Premier League side Margate and the former Gills boss has been speaking to KSN about his appointment.

In the move announced on Wednesday evening, the former Gillingham and AFC Hornchurch boss (among others) was named as the new man in the Hartsdown Park hotseat. 

We caught up with Stimson and he admitted in his first interview since being appointed, “It came out of the blue I suppose; I met with the Club regarding the First team job and after going down to meet the board members and hearing what they had to say, I came away excited and decided to take the job on and I’m looking forward to the next challenge!” 

“Margate is a good established Non-League club with a good history and good fan-base and now we just want to try, and see results improved on the pitch and I think the only way that we will do that is by working as hard as we can and hopefully turn the results around and look forward to a positive New Year.” 

“I’ve been in the opposition bench at Hartsdown Park quite a few times and have had some good and bad times there as a manager, so I’m really looking forward to it and cannot wait until Saturday now.” 

Carshalton Athletic provide Stimson’s first Margate test and the new manager know what to expect as he told us, “The last few weeks have seen their results tail off after a good start, but they are always there or thereabouts and so we know it will be a big test.”

He went on: “I expect the players this week to really show me that they want to be part of the future and if anything, I may have to calm them down a little bit as I hope they will be busting a gut to go and impress me and all the supporters who come into the ground.” 

“Whenever a manager goes in, he always hopes for patience so that he can get to know his players. In my own playing career, when a new manager came in, all I asked for was time to show what I could produce, as whenever I was given time, I did produce.”

“Obviously, early results help things on the way, but the big picture is to get this Club up there in and around the Play Off areas and challenging.” 

“In this League my old club Hornchurch are absolutely storming it and that’s no surprise to me as what I left there was a very good group of players and they’ve added to that, but if you take Hornchurch out of it in the League, anyone can beat anyone on their day as it’s about taking the chances when they come around and not giving too many goals away.”

“That is something we need to do and that is what we will be working on from training session number one.” 

“My back-room staff will hopefully be in place for the weekend. I am talking at the moment to people I have worked with recently who are Essex-side, and it may be difficult for them to commit because of the distances, but I do have others interested, so by the weekend, I will have someone in place.”

“Now everything is focused on Saturday afternoon, and I cannot wait. From now until then unfortunately it’s a matter of wishing your life away which is sad really…” Stimson admitted, “but for a football manager, three o’clock Saturday, the buzz you get, the excitement you get and you just hope that carries through to five o’clock, but it doesn’t always happen as you don’t always get an afternoon going according to plan!”

“We will be putting things in place to help the players as much as possible and then it is down to them to go and deliver and put on a performance that one, they can be proud of, but secondly the Club can be proud of!” 

Picture supplied by Margate Football Club.