from the chair
WearebackatHartsdownParkforwhatwehopewillbeanotherentertaininggame againstMeridianVP.Thefixturecomputerhasbeengivenanudgeafterhavingonly 3 home games in our first 10 games – so we now have 6 of the next 8 games at home!Theprogrammeteamwillbebusythat’sforsure–butatleastwehavemore opportunitiestoshowThanetwhatwecando
We welcome our officials to Hartsdown Park today Josh Nixon and Will Sanderson arerunningthelines-andaswegottoprintweawaitourrefereeconfirmation!
We extend a warm welcome to Dwinder and the Meridian VP squad, who are undertaking their longest journey of the league season today, travelling from South London and in close proximity to the famous Charlton Athletic FC stadium, The Valley.DwinderisnotonlythecurrentmanageroftheteambutalsotheirChairman. He’sbeenthedrivingforcebehindtheclubforovertwodecades,guidingitsgrowth from grassroots to recent continuous seasons in the South Counties East Football League (SCEFL). At the end of last season he has taken what must have been a difficult decision of voluntarily relegation from Step 6 to Step 7 – being the KCFL PremierDivisionandisundertakingwhatappearstobearesetfortheclub.
With our club continuing the process of an upwardbuildandwiththefirstteamhopingto progressintoSCEFLinfutureseasons,wehave often discussed a potential future scenario of havingtostepbackwardsinordertomaintain thestabilityoftheclub.Whilstwewanttokeep moving the club forwards we cannot afford to put the future of the club at risk and it seems Dwinder is making those tough decisions in order to keep Meridian VP in a good place. I have admiration not only for his huge achievements with the development of the club but also for the courage to do the right thing to keep it all going. We wish him and MeridianVPallthebestinthecomingseasons andwouldlovetobeabletorepeatthisfixture onedayintheSCEFLperhaps?
FurthertomylastprogrammenotesregardingournewWomensteam-
The Hinds - I wanted to quickly congratulate them for their 100% win record so far in the SECWFL Kent Division 3 East. For a brand new squad theyareveryquicklycreatingagreatteamspiritintrueMinsterstyle Not onlyaretheycurrentlyourmostsuccessfulteamintermsofresults,they haveintroducedmetotheworldoftheirTikTokaccount
Inowfeelveryold.
Have a great afternoon - let’s hope it’s an entertainingmatch.Thankyouforyoursupport.
from the boss
A 0-0 halftime scoreline felt like a significant achievement and so it would prove to be in the whole context of the game. In the second half we took control of territory and possession within minutes. In the 55th minute Ollie Harris laid the ball back for Todd Jordan who unleashed a 25 yard rocket into the top corner for a spectacular opener More pressure built and in the 61st minute Lewis Ray converted a Todd Jordan corner to give us a two goal lead Stansfeld forced their way back into the gamewithawellworkedgoalbutwithinminutesofthisOllieHarrisforcedtheballin torestoreourtwogoaladvantage.Asuperbdefensiveresiliencethenallowedusto seethegamethrough.Aperformanceofcharacterandquality,awelldeservedwin andamomentofvictorytosavour.
TheaimnowwillbetomaintaintheperformancelevelofthatStansfeldgameover the coming weeks and to capitalise on the good position we find ourselves in after nine league games As always seems to be the case, we have games in hand over the teams around us and eight games to play between now and the end of November in both cup and league. The league is as unpredictable as ever in terms of results and those teams that can be consistent will be in strong positions going intothewintermonths.Asshownabove,sixofourupcominggamesin OctoberandNovemberwilltakeplacehereatHartsdownParkandwe hopethatwewillseegrowingcrowdsandinterestinwhatishappening hereatMinsterinthecomingweeks.ATuesdaynightgameunderthe lightsagainstHawkingewillbeanentertainingaffairandwealsohavea localderbyagainstCanterburyCitytolookforwardto.Thefixturelistis anexcitingoneandwillentereverygamewiththeaimoftaking victory,whilstknowingthatnogameiseasilywoninourleague.
Asever,thankyouforyoursupportandwehopetosee plentymoreofyouoverthewintermonths!
our main sponsors
Founded by lifelong friends Lawrence Rose and ElliotPayne,ARTOisalreadyagloballeaderinlife sciences talent solutions, dedicated to helping Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical, and MedTech companiessecurethepeopletheyneedtodrive innovationandgrowth.
With a focus on providing bespoke, high-impact talent strategies across Europe and America, they partner with leading organisations to meet their staffing needsthroughanefficient,flexible,andinsight-drivenapproach.
Elliot is no stranger to the football club having played for them as part of his introduction into adult football. He would go onto play in the KCFL for East Kent College Bears under our 1 Team assistant manager, Liam Morris. Elliot is also a registeredplayerfortheMinsterOldBoys(Vets)side. st
Tradefit4U are a family run company with a name synonymous with local football. FatherandsonduoTonyandJaymeWisker
our club partners
Youngs Timber & Builders Merchants is a Kentbased familyrun builders’ merchant operating from branches in Biddenden, Folkestone,andDymchurch
Founded in Kent, the business is led by a tight knit team passionate about supporting tradespeople and DIY enthusiasts alike. They stock high quality timber, building and plumbing supplies, fencing, decorating materials, landscaping products, cladding, roofing, doors, gates and workwear With in house cutting and machining services, expert advice, free local delivery and a friendly, knowledgeable team, Youngs delivers professional reliability at local prices.
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and storyteller), the team crafts tailored solutions for small businesses in the UK Theirservicescover‘BetterAccounting’-tax,forecasting,digitalfinancesystems - and creative ‘Shapes Marketing’, offering branding, websites, graphic design, video, and digital strategy. With values of simplicity, integrity, transparency, energy, and space, they aim to bring freedom, relief, and delight to clients. Shapes feels friendly, values-driven, and imaginatively practical - a local partnerthatmakesrunningabusinessfeeleffortlessandinspired. prioritises honesty, transparency and individualised care for both schools and candidates. They place teachers, teaching assistants, SEN specialists and support staff in permanent, fixed‑term and supply roles across primary, secondary and special schools. Their Teaching Assistant Academy offers a two week training course for newcomers. With a friendly, responsive team and strong candidate feedback, Twenty4Seven feels supportive, professional and genuinelyinvestedinhelpingeducatorsthrive.
team
1911 team
welcome to minster fc
Youwillhaveseenfromtheclubcrestthatweareover100yearsoldwithonlyWorld Wars getting in the way of continued existence – a matter not taken lightly as club players and staff fought for their country during these difficult times. If you get a chance take a look at the club photos at our pavilion main hall that reminds us of ourhistoryandthegenerationsofplayersthathaverepresentedourclub
Throughouttheseyearstherehavebeensuccessful teams – most notably in the 1960s – that have playedthegameintherightspiritandhavesetthe foundations for future generations to continue A difficult time in the early 1980s saw the club – with onlyasingleteamatthetime-almostfailtofinish a season in the Thanet League due to lack of playersandsupport.
My father Ralph (also known locally as Colin) stepped in to gather as many eligible youngsters–includingmyself–toregisterand playthosefinalmatchestokeeptheclubalive.
The results didn’t matter – there was a much largermotivetokeepthecontinuityoftheclub.
For us 16/17 year old lads at the time we were finally playing for Minster – a team we had watchedfromthesidelinesformanyyears The following seasons saw the club continue to buildfromtheverybottomupwards.
Ourclubhasnowgrownveryquicklyintheselast11-12yearsaswehavebuiltonthe success of a very young team – managed by Ian Wallace - that have progressed through the Canterbury & District League and further into the Kent County Football League to the Premier Division where we have consolidated our standing in this division. Two further adult teams were added in 2019/2020 and during these last 5 yearswehaveseenourclubdevelopapathwayforyoungplayerswithintheareato progresswiththeirfootball.Ourveteransteamcontinuetoenjoytheirfootballinthe locallenMartinThanet&DistrictLeague.Wearealsoreallyhappytonowhavefour youth teams represent Minster from U15 to U18 age groups and our previous youth teamshaveprovidedplayersintoouradultssquads.Thisseasonalsosees theclubdevelopawomen'sfootballteamforthefirsttimesincethe1960s whenMinsterwereoneoftheoriginalfemaleteamsinthearea.
Whilstwehavehadgoodfortuneonthepitchtheselastfewyearsbacked byahugeamountofeffortawayfrommatchdays,wecontinuetobea clubthatseelongtermfriendshipsandasenseofcommunityspiritas beingthereal“winning.”
Avillageteamthatwillcontinuetousefootballtobuild competitivespiritalongsidefriendships thatwilllastalifetime.
sponsors & community
Project Talking Football was established in 2022 in responsetotheconclusionoffundingforthe“HeadIn The Game” pilot project Created by participants in collaboration with Minster FC, and funded by local businesses and grants, this community football initiative offers local men a chance to engage in sport,sharetheirexperiences,andboosttheirmental health Sessions are held on Monday evenings in Minster, providing a supportive environment for men to open up about their week. Our Chairman, along with other PTF coaches, actively hosts these weekly sessions. Occasionally, some of our players and coaches drop in to assist with training drills and experiencetheprojectfirsthand
Management
