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What is your name ?
Francis Empson (also known as Fred but more recently Frankie).
What is your date and place of birth ?
8th February 1959, Margate.
Where do you live ?
Staplehurst (the bit of Kent nobody seems to want - Council is Maidstone, post code is Tonbridge, Police - if we see them ever - is Ashford, hospital is Tunbridge Wells and telephone code is the Weald).
What was the first Margate / Thanet match you ever saw and what can you remember about it ?
Pre season friendly in 1963 when we played Fulham (my second team). My dad took me there as we only lived the other side of Tivoli Park and Margate won 3-0.
What was the first away game you went to ?
Eastbourne FA Cup 2QR October 1975 (football and cricket shared the ground).
Who is your all-time favourite Margate / Thanet player and why ?
Ray Summers, nuts off the field as well as on it.
Who would be in your all-time favourite Margate / Thanet X1 ?
1 Steve Bowtell
2 Sam Sodje
3 Eliot Martin
4 Norman Fusco
5 Bill Edwards
6 Bob Harrop
7 Tommy Jenkins
8 Ray Summers
9 Brian Gregory
10 Carl Gilbert
11 Jay Saunders
Of all the Margate / Thanet matches you've seen which is your favourite and why ?
Newport at home giving as the Southern League title and Conference football.
What's the best goal you've ever seen a Margate / Thanet player score ?
Four top ones have to be...
Alan Fagan lobbing the Folkestone goalkeeper from the half way line up the slope at Hartsdown in a 3-0 win.
Lee Turner's goal against Bashley in the Southern League Cup semi final second leg (one bounce between the centre half and goalie and in thanks to the wind).
Eliot Martin's goal against Havant in the 2 - 0 win (especially as they were trying to block our promotion at that point).
Eliot Martin's goal against Woking in the Trophy (as they were holders and 3 divisions above us we were given no chance at all).
The four are not in any particular order.
What one game in the club's history do you wish you'd seen and why ?
The FA Cup victory at Bournemouth.
What are the top three highlights of your time supporting Margate / Thanet ?
1. Promotion to the Conference after the game against Newport, despite not being able to climb over the wall around the pitch to celebrate without making a fool of myself and my son disowning me because of it.
2. The Trophy victory at Woking. Woking's manager had written us off in his programme notes but afterwards a Woking fan shook my hand and wished Margate well in the next round. The true spirit of non league football.
3.The game against Fulham in 1997. First game I attended with my father and my son and supporting both teams I was in a no lose situation.
And what are the three worst things you can remember ?
1. The vote to change the name to Thanet United (I abstained) after being lead astray by a Thanet Council official.
2. Hearing a well known local sports reporter of the 70's and 80's belittle the club to a Nuneaton official whilst drinking his free gin and tonics in the boardroom.
3. Watching the current ground situation drag on and the feeling of frustration, especially when the rest of my home town has also been left to fall apart.
What's the funniest thing you've witnessed during a Margate / Thanet match ?
During a game at Dartford's Watling Street ground seeing a supporter fall head over heels over the wall around the pitch whilst trying to get the ball back for the goalie. We were a little concerned until he got up, smiled and bowed to the crowd.
Do you have a favourite piece of Margate FC memorabilia or do you own any unusual items ?
Loads of programmes from home and away games. Also bought two turfs from the Hartsdown pitch from the Tivoli Park Road goal area - currently in my garden where I look after my Margate sods.
If you could re-sign one former player who's still playing elsewhere then who would it be and why ?
Jay Saunders, as he could turn a match.
Have you ever seen a full season of competitive matches (ie not missed any) or come close to it ?
From 1971 to 1985 attended every home game except one - you guessed it, against Spurs in 1973.
How many games would you say you've seen in total ?
About 500.
What's your current favourite away ground ?
Difficult one to answer taking the current situation into account.
And which current away ground do you least like ?
Thanet District Council - Council Chamber.
What's your all-time favourite away ground ?
Woking.
And which ground out of all the ones you've ever been to did you like least ?
Croydon (lifeless). Any of the grounds we went to and were attacked at be it Runcorn, Harlow, Folkestone and Chelmsford to name just 4.
Which Margate / Thanet player that you never saw play do you wish you'd seen ?
Peter Vandepeer because of his scoring record.
Did you ever play football on the pitch at Hartsdown ?
Trained with the players a couple of times and did a schools penalty competition one season.
Which Margate / Thanet kit is your all-time favourite ?
Our dark blue shirts and white shorts couple of years ago.
And which have you liked the least ?
The one we wore against Fulham... someone had an off day there.
Added to the site in 2004.