RYMAN PREMIER LEAGUE

Nationwide Conference here we come! That could be the rather cheeky clarion call from Canvey Island to send shock waves through the non-league soccer world.

Gulls have made meteoric progress from county soccer to the highest echelons of the Ryman League during the 1990s - and are in no mood to call a halt to their progress.

On Monday officials from the Conference will carry out an inspection at Park Lane to discuss the feasibility of the Islanders ever playing soccer at that level at their current home.

It has often been suggested that it would be impossible for Canvey to ever carry out the necessary improvements at their compact home, surrounded on three sides by houses, to play at the highest level of the non-league game.

Said manager Jeff King: "We've all heard that, now we want to find out if it's true."

All Ryman Premier clubs are contacted early each season to find out if they wish to be considered for a Conference spot if they should qualify by winning the title or finishing second if the top dogs are not in a position to go up.

During their rise through the non-league ranks, King himself at one stage believed that the club would never be in a position to go for Conference membership which, apart from ground improvements on a massive scale, would entail huge changes on the administrative, management and playing front.

Now he admits: "At this stage we just want to know exactly what's involved. You can never stand still in football and no-one would have believed when we were playing Essex Senior League football that we would have made such rapid progress."

In their first season in the Premier, Canvey have quickly established themselves and currently stand fifth in the table as well as being through to the third qualifying round of the FA Cup.

However King issued a warning when he added: "If we are to make even more progress, or to maintain our current level of success, we need everyone to pull together at the club.

"For last Saturday's FA Cup tie at home to Boreham Wood we had a far smaller crowd than expected and those who did come along were far too quiet.

"Remember, we were taking on and beating a well-established Ryman Premier side.

"Things have happened so quickly here that it's easy for people to think we have a divine right to win things.

"I remember when you rightly had a go about our fans being too quiet a few years ago. They hit back with some chants about you at our next big game and really got behind us when we pulled off a great cup win at Cambridge City.

"Well this time it's me saying it. They can have a go at me if they like, but I want to see them in big numbers really getting behind the team.

"The fans have had a huge part to play in our success, but some need a reminder from time to time."

With all the excitement of the cup - Gulls host St Albans in the penultimate qualifiers a week tomorrow - it's important that Canvey do not lose sight of their number one ambition of Premier glory.

Tomorrow (Saturday) they host a Chesham side, managed by former Billericay boss John Kendall, which will no doubt be smarting after coming out of the cup last weekend.

Canvey will be without top scorer Andy Jones due to a hamstring problem, but could have the services of an on-loan striker from a Football League club to boost their attack.

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