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CHAMPIONS!!!!!!
Newly crowned first division champions Camden FC are hot property right now, with various sponsorship deals flying in off the back of their recent success. Lawrence Lee has been fighting off the modelling agents with a “double left jab followed by right-handed temple blow” combo; Glen Dowdall is perfecting his best Austrian accent as the new face of Powerbar complete© and Robert William Robinson may yet take over from Ronald McDonald as the face of McDonalds.
For this particular interview we have the Camden FC captain Ian Catt and Dave Lee, the elder statesman of the club giving us a few moments of their ever more precious time. Dave Lee arrived with a bucket of fried chicken for us all to share for the duration, while we waited for captain Catt to arrive from home, where he had a bath then a roast dinner before arriving dressed in his best pressed pink polo shirt, jeans and shoes.
At the time of writing, Camden FC tops the table on an unreachable 43 points. With games still to be played amongst the chasing pack, the max reachable lies with Crayford FC’s potential 39 points target, with an otherwise entertaining battle for the promotion places with Abbey Utd (second) playing Bexley Park Sunday (third) and Crayford having to win 2 games against a tough Erith Tigers outfit to affect the battle in their favour. Camden FC can look down upon this battle though safe in the mind that the last result of the season – a 3-2 win over Abbey Utd – confirmed them as champions and the pressure is off.
Off we go then. Last season saw the club get relegated the first in the club's history and a career first for many of the playing staff. With this in mind, what were your predictions for the season?
DL: I always knew we were going to be a lot more competitive than we were last season & promotion was the least that I was expecting. We were never firing on all cylinders last year & I cannot recall a game where all 11 players contributed together as a team. We were always chasing games & got off to a terrible start & never seemed to turn it around
IC: Deep down I was very confident that we could achieve promotion and possibly win the league but I knew confidence was at a low and it was important that we got off to a decent start. With exception to the first game, result wise the start was flawless.
With such a start as the club had, winning 11 of the first 12, the next few results weren't so promising and at one stage the form book dictated that the title may go to any of the chasing pack. Were there any doubts as to whether Camden could seal the title?
DL: I thought we were in with a good shout of winning the league when we turned over North Heath 3-1 and had played some of the best football I'd seen us play for a couple of seasons. We continued this form for about 5-6 games but then seemed to stop playing the flowing football & started to grind out results (which in previous seasons we would've lost). The wobble towards the end made it a nervy finish but you have to give credit to the chasing teams who we were expecting us to slip up but kept on winning and piling on the pressure. Eventually though the character and commitment that we had been showing all season came through
IC: With the fantastic start that we had it was hard to stop the doubts creeping into my mind. However, looking around at the quality squad, I knew the dip in form would only be temporary. I felt that when crunch time came we would pull the result out of the bag. I can’t praise the boys enough for the performance against Abbey in that momentous final game. I could see the nerves were there in everyone but we held it together well.
What, if any, were the turning points for the season?
DL: Stopping the losing run with victories against Erith Tigers and a good AC Star team seemed to give us our belief back and put the destiny of the league firmly back in our hands
IC: For me the turning point came in the 3-2 win against Erith Tigers. Earlier in the season they had beaten us 4-1 in the cup and it would have been easy to turn up to this game expecting defeat but the boys responded well to the Catty war cry and showed them just how good we are. Even though the score ended 3-2, we should have absolutely annihilated them, we played some great football and showed them just how good we are.
What, in your opinion, were the best and worst results of the season?
DL: the best results were probably the two victories 3-1 and 7-0 over North Heath (at the time we weren't to know how important they were and they had also been a bogey team for us) and the 2-0 win against AC star was a great win considering we were short on playing staff and the final win against Abbey (any result that clinches the league is a good one). The worst display was obviously the 5-1 defeat to Abbey despite missing 2 penalties we never really competed & never really looked in the game
IC: It would be an obvious choice to pick the final game of the season as the best result but for me it had to be the 7-0 thrashing of North Heath in their own back yard. After their team slag us off in the changing room before the game, the boys put in a brilliant display to destroy them and lay down a warning to the rest of the league [at the time N. Heath were top of the table - ED]. The worst performance has to be the 5-1 home defeat to Abbey but we responded well by beating them in the winner takes all game to capture the title.
Were there any obvious reasons why this team stood out and clinched the title, given the showings put in by other teams at home and away?
DL: The obvious reason is that we are a TEAM. Its the one thing that I have always loved about being part of Inter Toby / Camden not only do we turn up every Sunday to play football but we all seem to get on and genuinely like each other. It makes a big difference to a Sunday league outfit
IC: As I may have mentioned earlier in the piece, the reason for this team clinching the title was commitment and team solidarity. It was clear to see that many of the teams in this league could play decent football but when it came to sticking together no other team came close. We started the season by playing some fantastic football and really put some of the teams to the sword but as our form dipped slightly we were able to grind out results (something that in previous seasons we were unable to do).
Who did you think were the most impressive side Camden came up against?
DL: I think Crayford were the most consistent against us over the 2 games we played. They certainly had strength throughout the team but I think AC Star in the second game played some good possession football, we had to battle to wear them down and they only really gave up when Chris scored the second goal. The Bexley Parks, Eriths and Abbeys all gave us hard games but at no time did I think we couldn't beat them
IC: For me, the 2nd best team in the league has to Bexley Park Sunday. If they do gain promotion to the Premier with us we will be in for two tough games next season but I have plenty of confidence in the boys we can win them both.
What was the favourite part of the season for you?
DL: The final bloody whistle on Sunday, along with my token goal for the season that I always manage to sneak in
IC: Undoubtedly, the final game of the season. Seeing the joy on the boys’ faces said it all. Tour is going to be awesome!
Any players or other club members worth special mention?
DL: Mark Weyman of course, without whom none of the above would've happened. It is a thankless task he does for the club & not only does he do it very well but also I've never heard him bitch about it once. On the playing front I think every member of the squad made a valuable contribution somewhere down the line. The front 2 played out of their skins and hit the 30+ goals you need to win things. The defence was solid and had the most clean sheets we've ever had and the midfield refused to be overrun & dominated in most games and also chipped in with 15-20 valuable goals
IC: I wouldn’t like to single out anyone for special mention as everyone from player to back room staff has played their role in this fantastic season, showing the ability, passion and commitment that the Camden is renowned for. Long may it continue.
What are the plans and aims for next season?
DL: To continue where we left off. We still need to get mentally stronger and start to realise what a good team we are and start to consistently play the football we are capable of. There is no reason why we cant compete for the league next season, we certainly have the personnel to do it
IC: It would be too easy to say just to consolidate our status as a Kent Premier team. I feel we have to ability to really compete in that league and should look to at least a mid table position. We have the squad to really do some damage, all we need to do is play with the confidence and commitment of this title winning season.
Interview by Paul O'Brien