Saturday afternoon was Ryan Maxwell’s last game in charge of Sittingbourne and he came so close to the perfect finale as “Dar Brick” as the Brickies took National League Ebbsfleet United to a shoot out where the full time side just edged out last season’s Trophy heroes.

For Maxwell, Yannis Ambroisine’s stoppage time equaliser was bitter sweet as after the Fleet had dominated possession throughout the absorbing contest in the Northfleet “mizzle”, they only had Dom Samuel’s rather fortunate goal to show for their labours after the yellow and blue brick wall of messers Steventon, Arthur, Graham and Hoyte were magnificent throughout in front of keeper Seymour who would have surely held the shot that rebounded to Samuel to score in drier conditions.

Yes the Brickies rode their luck at times – quite how Lennon Peake, Gene Kennedy and Samuel didn’t score was down to magnificent defending, poor finishing and possibly lady luck too!

But that’s how Maxwell steered the Brickies to the Quarter Finals last season – there is just a never-say-die approach from the Irishman that has taken everyone involved with Sittingbourne FC on a journey in just under three years that few of us will ever forget.

When he arrived at Woodstock after the departure of Nick Davis in January 2023, Maxwell found a club in turmoil and a team on its knees. Just over 120 turned up that first Saturday afternoon when he showed that he would soon become loved by the Brickies as on “day one” he was only supposed to have a watching brief as the caretakers took one last game before he was due to start on the Monday.

“Due to start” as within twenty-five minutes of kick-off he was in the dug out leading from the front.

And lead from the front he did lifting the Brickies out of the bottom four to mid table safety and then some as after his first win – a 2-0 Tuesday night win in January at VCD Athletic (Tuesday January 24 to be precise), Sittingbourne’s next League defeat came on the final day of the season at Lancing.

The progression on and off the pitch was remarkable – a third place finish followed the next season 2023/2024 and a desperately unlucky semi final defeat in the Play Offs to a last minute Three Bridges goal after spending the whole season hanging onto the coat-tails of the outstanding Cray Valley PM and Ramsgate and then last season with reinforcements on and off the pitch, the side amassed over a hundred points and over one hundred goals scored were simply remarkable and so unfair that the play Offs beckoned again and even more heart-break when beaten on penalties at Woodstock by Burgess Hill.

The Trophy run which saw sides fall from higher Leagues like the autumn leaves that surround the Brickies home though took away some of the disappointment and if anything cement resolve that it would be third time lucky.

Sadly of the sixteen that were on duty in that Final, eleven left Sittingbourne all to clubs playing at a higher level and Brickies circa 2025/2026 haven’t really set the world alight with results – injuries to significant players not helping – yet still Sittingbourne have enjoyed more slaying in this season’s Trophy as Hashtag United and Cray Valley PM both from the Isthmian Premier can testify, after being added to the list from last season.

But for the man with the Belfast roots and with a young family who commuted to Swale from under the flightpath of Stansted Airport, the last month has proved to be the straw that knocked down that particular Brick wall… and for the memories, no true Sittingbourne fan can say anything but thank you!

And so the King has gone, long live the King – a returning one at that – for on Sunday evening it was announced that Reece Prestedge, who had stood down from his coaching role in the summer after being with Maxwell during the glorious times of twelve months ago, has agreed to step into the managers seat.

Hopefully it will be a massive lift for the Brickies supporters after the disappointment of the change of manager, mainly because Prestedge is a Brickie after the achievements from last season – yes he achieved good things at Margate, but he was a massive part of the family that made the FA Trophy last eight, was part of the family that went 31 League games unbeaten last season and unbeaten in the League at home all season scoring in all but one game, and perhaps most importantly, he knows the majority of the players still wearing Sittingbourne Red and Black!

Will there be changes? Of course there will, but there’s also the “new manager bounce” that you always hear about when a new boss comes in and to be completely honest, after losing their last four League games to fall off the pace.

Disappointed that Ryan Maxwell has left? Of course Brickies will be, but excited for what Reece Prestedge will back bring to the Club? Most definitely massively yes… hold on Brickies nation, we’re about to start another ride hopefully to the promised land!!

Picture supplied by Ian Scammell.