ANDY FORD'S eight-year reign as manager of Gravesend & Northfleet has ended with his shock resignation.

The club's longest-serving manager stunned officials with his decision to quit following the club's 1-0 defeat by Stevenage in the first round of the GLS Cup – the Nationwide Conference League Cup.

Tuesday's match was watched by Garry Hill, the former Dagenham & Redbridge and Hornchurch manager but Fleet officials were quick to refute speculation linking him with an immediate appointment.

Rumours that Ford was under pressure had been rife for weeks following the club's sharp decline which had seen the Fleet slip from third on October 2 to 14th in the Nationwide Conference – 10 points above the relegation zone.

A 14-match run without a win ended on January 8 with a 1-0 win away to bottom club Leigh RMI.

Saturday's 3-1 defeat by Aldershot was the club's seventh at home without a win.

Instead of attending the customary after-match press conference, Ford went straight to a meeting with chairman Brian Kilcullen and vice-chairman Jason Botley. No member of the mangerial back-room team was available to speak afterwards.

By Sunday, the rumour mill had gone into overdrive as the club were linked with Hill, who has just left cash-strapped Hornchurch, and the Margate manager Chris Kinnear who lives just outside Gravesend.

At the time, Mr Kilcullen insisted that nothing should be read into the meeting and said there would be no vote of confidence coming from the board.

However, rumours persisted that he had been given one match to save his job.

With former assistant Adrian Pennock moving to Welling earlier this month, Ford was expected to announce his successor this week.

It leaves club coach and former Gillingham goalkeeper Ron Hillyard in charge for Saturday's derby away to Dagenham & Redbridge.

Ford took over from Steve Lovell in September 1997 after the Fleet made a disappointing start to the season.

It was the former Gillingham captain's first managerial appointment and, although it was seen in some quarters as a gamble, he turned into one of the most successful bosses in the club's history.

Fleet made the biggest investment in their history at the start of the 2001/02 season to bring Stonebridge Road up to Conference standard and Ford set about producing a team to reach the top level of non-league football.

It was to be one of the most successful seasons in the club's history as Ford's side reached the first round proper of the FA Cup, enjoyed their best ever run in the FA Trophy – by reaching the fifth round – and won the Kent Senior Cup for a record third successive season.

However, the undoubted highlight came when they pipped Canvey Island for the Ryman League Premier Division title by four points and with it secured a place in the Nationwide Conference.

Mr Kilcullen confirmed: "Andy came to us after the game on Tuesday and tendered his resignation. It's a sad day for everyone at the club."

KM-fm sports editor Simon Watts spoke to Mr Kilcullen after the announcement...