George Elokobi’s Maidstone United side are on the verge of making history, but he is not a happy man. “We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and as a manager I start with myself,” said the usually mild-mannered Elokobi after a costly 2-0 defeat at Aveley on Monday in National League South, the sixth tier of English football. “Did I choose the right team? Have I chosen the right staff? Have I been too loyal? I have to look into that.”
Next Monday, Maidstone will become the first team from outside the top five divisions since Blyth Spartans in 1978 to play in the fifth round of the FA Cup. They have never made it this far and a trip to Coventry, who have Championship play-off ambitions, awaits. At Aveley, a healthy proportion of the 709 spectators were Maidstone fans, but 5,000 of them will be in Coventry. For the club that went bankrupt in 1992 and was forced to start over in the fourth division of the Kent County League, the draw will be another proud moment in a long journey back from oblivion. In the words of some of the people who made this possible, here is their remarkable story.
Bill Williams: former player and manager, now CEO and director of football I have been involved with Maidstone since 1972, when I joined the club at the end of my playing career. I was there at the very first Division 4 match of the Kent County League in 1992 – we played our matches at all the local recs in front of one man and his dog. But that was what we had to do after being relegated twelve leagues. It’s been an uphill battle, but the last twelve years have been great. We’re back in town and it’s been a wonderful trip ever since. We’re getting better every year and this FA Cup run is the icing on the cake.
Everyone is excited. The game itself is a bit intimidating but no one gave us a chance when we went to Ipswich and the way we played and the amount of energy the players expended was incredible. Now comes the real crisis. We’re so close to the quarter-finals, and that’s just one step away from Wembley!
George is not only an exceptional football manager, but also an exceptional man. I just hope that we can give a good impression of ourselves. One day returning to the League is very much our ambition. We have a very good business model and we are very well supported by a huge community of about 170,000 people. What we need now is a little bit of investment.
Steve Butler: Former striker at the original Maidstone and the second incarnation. Also had a stint as an assistant coach Maidstone has always remained close to my heart. I can walk to the ground in about 15 minutes and I have lived in the city since 1986. I will always remember the FA Cup runs in 1987 and 1988 when we reached the third round. We played Graham Taylor’s Watford team, who had John Barnes, and gave a good account of ourselves in a 3-1 defeat in 1987. A year later we lost only 1-0 to Sheffield United, who were in the Second Division played. But the most important thing for us was that we tried to get into the League and we finally got there in 1989.
I moved to Watford for about six months before things started to go wrong. I remember coming to watch a game on a day off and it was clear something was going on. I went to the council meeting when they voted not to grant permission for the club to build a new ground – it was a very sad day. I was in my early forties when I started playing for the club again as they worked their way back up.
In the final round of the FA Cup I thought they were going to lose to Ipswich but my wife told me they were winning 1-0 so I turned on the TV and couldn’t believe it when they were 2-1 up. Then the old guts went like I was still involved! Coventry are not as good as Ipswich, but it will be very difficult for them to do it again. The whole experience and attention they get is great for the players – they can just enjoy it. I’m sure they will make Maidstone proud. I’ll remain glued to the television, that’s for sure.
Ian Tucker: Club Secretary full-time for 11 years after 10 years as a volunteer I went to my first Maidstone game when I was four or five in the eighties and we were in the Conference. I remember seeing them play Burnley in the old Division Four and it was a very difficult time for everyone when the club ceased to exist. The club disappeared from my radar for a few years and it wasn’t until I was working in Maidstone hospital radio that I started coming down to cover the games. That’s how it all started when I was about 17. I volunteered to do the race day program and the rest is history.
We lost a generation of supporters, but when we came back to the city in 2012, the younger fans really embraced the club. It’s been quite full since we beat Barrow [in the FA Cup second round] in December and we’re just trying to ride the wave. We could have sold at least another 500 tickets for the Coventry match. When they went on general sale, we sold out in a few hours. I arrived at the club at 9am and some fans had been queuing since 6am waiting for the ticket office to open. It was incredible. We’re taking nine or ten coaches to Coventry. We’re not expecting another miracle like against Ipswich, but you never know.
Tony Gilbert: Maidstone supporter since 1970 I remember in 1979 we traveled to Charlton in the third round of the FA Cup and drew 1-1. Mike Flanagan and Derek Hales had an on-pitch altercation and were both sent off – they both played for Charlton! Then the floodlights failed in the replay and we lost 2-1. The mid-eighties were the boom years when we had Warren Barton in defense and Steve Butler scoring goals. We had a very good team. But in 1992 we were due to play Scunthorpe away on the first day of the season, but the match never took place. We had no players and nowhere to play – it was heartbreaking.
The club became the new Maidstone United in 1995, but I haven’t gone back to see it for years. Then one of my friends took me to a competition in 2005 and I was hooked again. Since then I have seen 700 games, home and away. I only missed one game all season and that was in Slough because it was my aunt’s 90th birthday.
The noise in Ipswich was enormous when we scored. I expect us to lose against Coventry, but if we can score and have something to cheer about we would be very happy. The owners have done a brilliant job and adapted their clothing accordingly rather than spending beyond their means as many teams at this level do.
George Elokobi: manager We performed so well in the FA Cup and attracted so much publicity that we have become a target in the competition. Every team puts its best foot forward against you and if your mentality is not right, the results will be similar to our defeat [at Aveley] can happen. The secret to our success this season is that we are together.
Because we have a diverse background, it is important that we are represented in the competition and beyond. It’s about making sure you do your job on the training pitch and then trying to do well for your club. Stay respectful and humble. I am very proud to inspire the next generation of managers.
Craig Fagan: Assistant Manager I’ve known George for a long time. We played together in Colchester when he was only 18 and I was a few years older, but we have always kept in touch. We both had similar careers because we both understand how much hard work it takes to get to the top. George played here before and got the job of manager. He needed someone on the coaching staff and knew I was available. We don’t agree, but you have to question each other to improve as a coaching team.
I said in the locker room that the players have to leave everything there on Monday. They should not fear the occasion – as we showed we were not against Ipswich. In fact, we need to do the opposite of what we did against Aveley: be calm on the ball and take our chances when they arise. We scored two quality goals against Ipswich and we need to show that again against Coventry.