Joint management duo target the title with Ferring

New Ferring Football Club joint player-managers Carl Stocker and Mark Burgess are targeting the title in their first season in senior management.
Summer signing Mitchell Hand (left) with joint player-manager Carl Stocker (right)Summer signing Mitchell Hand (left) with joint player-manager Carl Stocker (right)
Summer signing Mitchell Hand (left) with joint player-manager Carl Stocker (right)

Ferring had a difficult campaign last year when they lost all 28 of their league matches, conceded 300 goals and finished bottom of the Southern Combination League.

Stocker and Burgess, who have run a Sunday team for the past five seasons, believe they can turn things around and see the role as a perfect time to step into SCFL management.

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Stocker said: "It's a challenge that we are really looking forward to. Ferring struggled last season but we want to turn things around here.

"All the boys we work with on a Sunday have been asking us to make the move into the SCFL and now we've decided to do it."

Stocker and Burgess have wasted no time in bolstering their playing squad.

No player has remained from last term, so the playing side will be completely overhauled.

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Danny Hand and Mitchell Hand, along with Dean Janman, have all signed from SCFL Premier Division side Littlehampton Town. Others with experience in SCFL Division 1 or higher to have joined are Jordon Saunders, Karl Tizzard, Ben Smart and Jamie Wilkinson.

Stocker and Burgess will also be signed on as players and the latter sees no reason why they cannot challenge for the title this season.

He said: "The team we've managed to get together is really impressive, it's just about making sure we perform on the pitch. Our target is a top-two finish but really we want to win the league.

"I'd say six of the 11 we've currently managed to sign have been playing together on a Sunday for a while, so it shouldn't take long for the team to gel."

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Ferring returned for pre-season training last week and train at the club on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week from 7pm.

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