{"id":17455,"date":"2026-06-01T11:51:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T10:51:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sittingbournefc.org\/?page_id=17455"},"modified":"2026-08-20T19:43:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T18:43:02","slug":"former-players-r-s-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sittingbournefc.org\/?page_id=17455","title":{"rendered":"Former Players (R & S)"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Compiled by Tony Rickson<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nick Reeves<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 113+6. Goals: 13. Sittingbourne debut: Aug 2008; Final game: Apr 2011.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Bekenham, Cray Wanderers, Maidstone, Dartford, Hythe<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Played every minute of six matches in ten days \u2013 along with central defensive partner Matt Bourne \u2013 when Sittingbourne were playing catch-up to complete the 2009-10 season following a series of postponements. Both Reeves and Bourne played every game that season. A determined and steady defender, Reeves was the club\u2019s\u00a0player-of-the-year in 2010-11 for a second successive season.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Jono Richardson<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 138+6. Goals: 20. Sittingbourne debut: Dec 2013; Final game: Apr 2016.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Hastings, Herne Bay, Sheppey United<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Joined Sittingbourne from Hastings when his work as a teacher brought him to Kent. Richardson was a strong and experienced central defender or left-back who also nicked more than a few goals from set pieces. The manager\u2019s player-of-the-year choice in 2014-15, Richardson spent time as a player-coach at Sittingbourne and went on to join the management team of other non-league clubs. But a growing family, and promotion at work to headteacher, has restricted further commitments to football.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Colin Richmond<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 94+7. Goals: 10. Sittingbourne debut: Apr 2007; Final game: Oct 2011.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Maidstone, Erith & Belvedere, Fleet Leisure<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Hard-working midfielder who scored one of the winning goals in the Kent Senior Cup final in 2010, Sittingbourne\u2019s first success in the competition for more than 50 years. Richmond had an extraordinary season in 2008-09 when he played in every game and was awarded player-of-the-year, players\u2019 player-of-the-year, young player-of-the-year and the website player-of-the-year. Represented the\u00a0Kent County League against the Sussex County League in the 2012-13 season. His dad Lee was also a Sittingbourne club servant, as coach and caretaker manager.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Walter Rickett<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Played for Sittingbourne: 1950s<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Sheffield United, Blackpool, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham, Halifax<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Successful player-manager of Sittingbourne during some of the 1950s glory days, having played on the wing for Blackpool in the 1948 FA Cup final against Manchester United when they lost 4-2. At Sittingbourne he was known for his ability to spot and sign players \u2013 not for his inspirational team talks which one player said was simply: \u2018All kick one way!\u2019 He died in 1991.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Jeff Ross<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 36+28. Goals: 4. Sittingbourne debut: Aug 1992; Final game: Mar 1994.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Ashford, Welling, Gravesend, Hythe, Folkestone<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Possessed a lovely left-foot and provided the crosses for many of the goals for Dave Arter, his old mate and top scorer during Sittingbourne\u2019s 1992-93 championship-winning season. Ross started that season with a bang, scoring one of the goals as Sittingbourne won 4-0 away to Newport Isle of Wight on the opening day. He returned to his home club Ashford towards the end of the following season, and went on to play nearly 400 games for them. Ross and Arter were sold by Sittingbourne for a combined \u00a37,000 at the time, the pair having previously been sold by Ashford to Hythe for \u00a325,000.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Len Round<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Played for Sittingbourne: 1958-66<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Ayr United, Hull City<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Goalkeeper when Sittingbourne won the Kent League in 1958-59 and got promotion to the Southern League. He\u2019d previously played more than 300 games for Scottish League side Ayr United, having joined them while doing his National Service with the Royal Scots Fusiliers.\u00a0A Sittingbourne fan from when his Dad took him to home matches as a boy, Trevor Hampshire said: \u2018I have lots of fond memories of watching Len play. He was a really tough goalie who took all the knocks. He lived near my family in Sittingbourne and taught me to drive when I was old enough. I still have a clean driving licence after 60 years so he taught me well!\u2019\u00a0After a long playing career with Sittingbourne, Round went back to the Midlands and played local football while working as a pattern maker and singing in a male voice choir. He died in 2005, aged 77.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Kane Rowland<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 84+1. Goals: 30. Sittingbourne debut: Aug 2017; Final game: Aug 2022.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Ramsgate, Whitstable, Margate, Folkestone Invicta, Herne Bay<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A natural leader, centre-forward Rowland had two spells with Sittingbourne and scored goals regularly. After making his debut at the start of the 2017-18 season he played in every one of the next 42 league matches and finished the season as top scorer with 19 goals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Lynden Rowland<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 44+8. Goals: 15. Sittingbourne debut: Mar 1997; Final game: Aug 2003.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Gresley Rovers, Kings Lynn, Corby Town,\u00a0<\/em>Faversham, Maidstone United, Tonbridge, Bly Spartans, Woodstock<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

At the age of 17 he won Sittingbourne\u2019s youth team player-of-the-year award for the 1992-93 season. A hard-working and committed centre-forward he scored in his first full Sittingbourne game \u2013 away to Merthyr Tydfil in March 1997 \u2013 and became a regular first choice for the next season-and-a-half. He ended up the club\u2019s top scorer the following season, just ahead of Tommy Planck and was well known for his joyful goal celebrations. Peter Pitts reported on the club website after one Rowland goal: \u2018He produced a South American type celebration when he took off his shirt and completed half a lap of honour.\u2019<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nick Ryan<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Played for Sittingbourne debut between 1984 and 1986<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Chatham, Sheppey<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A goalscoring left-back who was on target nine times during Sittingbourne\u2019s 1984-85 season, in which he played 26 games. The Brickies were in a three-way race for the Kent League title with Hythe and Tunbridge Wells but just missed out and finished third. Ryan remembered: \u2018We went to Hythe at the end of the season and I scored just on half time with a scorcher from 20 yards. But they pummelled us with long balls down the slope in the second half and we ended up losing. I can still see our manager Arthur Ervin\u2019s absolute exasperation at life in the Kent League.\u2019 He added: \u2018The following season\u00a0I remember scoring against Chatham in the FA Trophy in a 4-0 home win and being part of the most boring nil-nil ever away at Faversham around Christmas. But the rest is a blank!\u2019<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Scott Saunders<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 143+8. Goals: 3. Sittingbourne debut: Jan 1994; Final game: May 1999.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other club: Phoenix Sports<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

One of the quiet men in teams of higher profile players, Saunders was a reliable and consistent left-back in the 1990s when Sittingbourne teams were meeting with mixed success. He was a member of the 1995-96 team that won the Beazer Homes League Southern Division championship. The East Kent Gazette said of Saunders: \u2018Prepared to be the quiet one at the back, covering for others and tackling like fury.\u2019<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Marc Seager<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 91+19. Goals: 14. Sittingbourne debut: Aug 1995; Final game: Apr 2001.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Ashford, Whitstable, Deal Town<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Local lad spotted playing Sunday football at Teynham, Seager played an important role in Sittingbourne\u2019s 1995-96 promotion season. A midfielder or full-back, he later went on to help Deal Town win the FA Vase at Wembley in 2001 before returning to play for Sittingbourne. Also had success when he went into management at Whitstable following his playing career, winning both the Kent League and the Kent Senior Cup in his first season in charge.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Steve Searle<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 98+15. Goals: 10. Sittingbourne debut: Apr 1993; Final game: Apr 2007.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Barnet, Stevenage, Tonbridge, Welling, Chatham.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Cool and classy midfielder who was a young member of the team that won the Beazer Homes League Southern Division title in 1995-96. Peter Pitts, writing on the club website after one 1996 game, commented: \u2018Man of the match was Steve Searle. This stylish player will surely go on to better things.\u2019 Searle did indeed then make the break into the Football League with Barnet, where he played nearly 100 games despite a succession of injuries. He extended his career with a number of other clubs before returning to Sittingbourne more than 10 years after he\u2019d first played for the club.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Paul Semakula<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 34. Goals: 3. Sittingbourne debut: Sep 2010; Final game: Apr 2011<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Tonbridge, Maidenhead, Leatherhead, Cray Valley PM, Billericay<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

His hard work in midfield for Sittingbourne in the 2010-11 season was rewarded with being chosen by his teammates as their players\u2019 player-of-the-year. Once he was signed by Gary Abbott, he played every game that season and scored a couple of important goals. Almost 10 years later Uganda-born Semakula was still playing, and turned out for Cray Valley PM against the Brickies in 2019.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Mitchell Sherwood<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 78+14. Goals: 7. Sittingbourne debut: Sep 2005; Final game: Nov 2007<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Hastings, Ashford, Ramsgate, Sevenoaks<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Loyal and hard-working player who was a regular choice of manager Steve Lovell for a couple of years and left when Lovell quit Sittingbourne to join him at Ashford. Played mostly wide-left, scoring a crucial late equaliser in an FA Cup-tie at Dartford in 2007, though Sittingbourne plunged to a 5-1 defeat in the home replay. Sherwood played more than 100 games for Ashford and scored 28 goals for them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ralph Shields<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Played for Sittingbourne: 1922-26<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Huddersfield, Exeter, Brentford<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Former miner who was sold as a youngster by Newcastle to Huddersfield for a \u00a3100 fee! A forward, he joined Sittingbourne for a four-year stay after his Football League career ended. He lied about his age to enlist in the Australian Army in the Second World War \u2013 he was over the maximum of 40 \u2013 but died in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp from malnutrition and beriberi in 1944 at the age of 52.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Michael \u2018Buster\u2019 Smissen<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 28+8. Goals: 16. Sittingbourne debut: Nov 2003; Final game Sep 2006.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Dover, Hythe, Faversham, Ashford<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Smart goalscoring striker who scored twice on his Sittingbourne debut in 2003 in a 4-1 home win over Burnham. Smissen was on loan from Dover and ended up that season as the club\u2019s leading goalscorer in league matches as well as Sittingbourne\u2019s young player-of-the-year. Smissen continued to play at the end of the season despite the tragic loss of his 21-year-old sister Natalie to cancer. Hundreds of pounds was raised by fans for the Pilgrims\u2019 Hospice at Margate in her memory and Sittingbourne manager Mark Beeney donated a shirt signed by the Chelsea first team for auction.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Harry Smith<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 39+9. Goals: 14. Sittingbourne debut: Aug 2014; Final game: Nov 2016.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, Folkestone, Millwall, Macclesfield, Northampton, Motherwell, Leyton Orient, Swindon<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Spotted playing at a lower level, Smith is one of several former Sittingbourne players to go on and make a career in professional football. After one season at Sittingbourne, the 6ft 5in striker was sold to Folkestone Invicta and from there he was offered a two-year contract at Millwall. His career has taken him to quite a few different clubs, including a loan spell at Motherwell, playing in the Scottish Premiership.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Liam Smith<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 40. Goals: 9. Sittingbourne debut: Aug 2024; Final game: Apr 2025<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Tonbridge, Hythe, Folkestone Invicta<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Outstanding in his only season with Sittingbourne, a key figure in almost every match in the successful 2024-25 campaign. He was chosen by both the fans and his teammates as the club\u2019s player-of-the-year and maintained consistently high standards and commitment throughout. Defended brilliantly, scored excellent goals from set pieces, covered in different positions for colleagues, and stood in as captain. On top of that, he mended the floodlights at half-time in the FA Trophy win over Salisbury and was a bit of an internet sensation for a while as well as being interviewed by TalkSport and The Sun.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Tom Spencer<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Played in Sittingbourne: 1938-39<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Hastings, Lincoln, Ashford<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Spent a year playing for Sittingbourne and played four sports professionally \u2013 football, cricket, table tennis and boxing. He was most successful at cricket, playing for Kent before and after the Second World War, and then going on to become a Test match umpire. He was awarded an OBE in 1976 and died at the age of 81 in 1995.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Bradley Spice<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 222+53. Goals: 73. Sittingbourne debut: Oct 2000; Final game: Apr 2012.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Dover, Ashford, Thamesmead<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Born to score goals, former Fulston Manor schoolboy Spice ran non-stop up front for Sittingbourne for more than 10 years. Being the son of the hard-working Sittingbourne chairman Andy Spice and his supportive wife Tania might have been an added burden, but Spice\u2019s place as striker was nailed on through his talent and commitment. As a youngster, he was top scorer for the first team, the reserves, and the under-18s all in the same 1999-2000 season. He went on to win the club\u2019s golden boot and website player-of-the-year honour for the season 2005-06, and that was one of four seasons in which he finished as top scorer for Sittingbourne.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Walter Spratt<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Played for Sittingbourne 1921-22<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other club: Brentford, Manchester United, Chelsea<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Played more than 100 times for Brentford but the First World War cut across his career with Manchester United. A full-back, he spent a season playing for Sittingbourne before returning to his native Yorkshire. At the age of 55, he was one of 35 people killed in a V2 rocket attack on London in January 1945.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Matt Stock<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

First joined Sittingbourne in 1980s. Final game: Sep 1994.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs:\u00a0<\/em>Charlton, Maidstone, Sheppey, Margate, Hastings, Chelmsford, Folkestone, Gravesend, Dover, Hastings, Ashford, Crawley. Faversham, Chatham.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Experienced and flamboyant ball-playing inside-forward who had a few spells at Sittingbourne, played for clubs all over Kent, as well as in South Africa, Finland and Australia. He was part of the team that won the Beazer Home League Southern Division in 1992-93 and manager John Ryan described him as \u2018a great talent with wonderful skills on the ball.\u2019 He died in 2024 at the age of 64.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Jimmy Strouts<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

League appearances: 29+3. Goals: 1. Sittingbourne debut: Apr 1994; Final game: Mar 1995.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other clubs: Stevenage, Dover, Ebbsfleet, Maidstone, Whitstable<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Committed midfielder who broke into the Sittingbourne team for a while in the mid-1990s under John Ryan\u2019s management. Strouts grew up in Sittingbourne and served in the Army as well as getting stuck into his football career. And it lasted 18 years, moving on to various Kent clubs, Strouts winning Kent League titles with Maidstone and Whitstable and then moving into coaching and management. His son Jacob played for Lordswood against Sittingbourne in the FA Cup in 2024.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Return to Former Players Index<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Compiled by Tony Rickson Nick Reeves League appearances: 113+6. Goals: 13. Sittingbourne debut: Aug 2008; Final game: Apr 2011. Other clubs: Bekenham, Cray Wanderers, Maidstone, Dartford, Hythe Played every minute of six matches in ten days \u2013 along with central defensive partner Matt Bourne \u2013 when Sittingbourne were playing catch-up to complete the 2009-10 season […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-17455","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sittingbournefc.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sittingbournefc.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sittingbournefc.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sittingbournefc.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sittingbournefc.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17455"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sittingbournefc.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17455\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18308,"href":"https:\/\/sittingbournefc.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17455\/revisions\/18308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sittingbournefc.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}