Blues chasing trophy treble
RINGMER are eyeing up a season’s trophy treble when they face Crawley Town in the final of the Sussex Senior Cup at Eastbourne Borough’s Priory Road ground on Monday (May 2).
Manager John Crumplin is pictured above holding the RUR Charity Cup won against Chichester City and chairman Richard Soan has the Victor Chandler Trophy won in the annual match against Lewes last summer.
Yesterday Soan said: ‘The Crawley v Ringmer final is true David v Goliath, but we are certainly not there just to make up the numbers.
‘We’ll be there to make a game of it and you never know, we might just knick it.
‘We have plenty who have played at a higher level and know what it’s all about.
‘It’s my biggest day in senior football as player or administrator, the biggest before was when we got to the last 16 of the FA Vase when I was chairman of Hailsham.’
Crumplin said: ‘I can’t wait for the final, it’s good for everyone involved with the club. It’s a fantastic achievement.
‘The club’s putting on a big day for us – a pre-match meal, Football Focus and a coach to the game, it’s just like my old Brighton days.
‘I’ve got no injury problems and have the team in my head, but it’s a long way until Monday and we have two training sessions to get through.
‘Crawley are a good side but we won’t go there to just shut up shop and hope for the best, we’ve got to go and attack them at some stage.
‘If we sit back we’ll be inviting trouble, we’ll have a go but do it cautiously.
‘We need the grit and determination we showed against Worthing and the football we played against Bognor.
‘You never know, Crawley might just have a bad day!’
Vines relishing big match
Apr 27 2005 By Alex Wright Crawley News
FRANCIS Vines is taking nothing for granted as the Reds prepare for their Sussex Senior Cup showdown with Ringmer on Bank Holiday Monday.
The Crawley boss admitted the club sent someone along to watch their opponents in action last Saturday. And he is determined to end the season on a high following a slump in form over recent weeks. He said: “We won’t take them for granted. We had someone watch go and watch them.”
Vines vowed to put out his best available side in a bid for cup success. “I am not going to take them lightly – I am going to field my strongest side and I am going all out to win it. “No disrespect to Ringmer, but we should win it. “We should win it anyway, regardless of who we are playing. “I just hope the guys go out there with the right attitude and make sure they win the game,” he said.
Vines is also looking forward to crossing swords with ex-Reds player and former Three Bridges and Crawley Down manager John Crumplin. “I am going out to win, as I am sure they will. I am sure he will go out there to try to win it,” he added.
Crumplin, whose Crawley career was cut short through injury, said: “It is going to be a bit of a mountain to climb and it is going to be a tough one.
“I think Crawley are a quality squad and they have done pretty well this year and I thought at one stage they were going to get there. “I know John Robinson because I was the best man at his wedding and Judgy, and I know the goalkeeper, but that is about it.