www.kentonline.co.uk

MARGATE boss Chris Kinnear held his first pre-season training session as the troubled Thanet club’s build-up finally got underway.

Kinnear, himself recovering from a broken shoulder sustained in a fall at home last month, gathered his squad together at a sportscentre in Gravesend on Monday night.

He said: ”A lot of players were understandably worried by the insecurity of the whole thing."

Kinnear has lost four regular members of last season’s Nationwide Conference squad, following the uncertainty.

Skipper Graham Porter and Jay Saunders have linked up with Gravesend & Northfleet, while another key midfielder Jake Leberl has joined Dagenham and Redbridge.

Margate’s demotion to Conference South means an earlier than usual start in the FA Trophy this season.

The Thanet club, who confirmed last week that they will start the new season ground-sharing at Ashford, will be away to Walton and Hersham in the first round on Saturday November 6.

Kinnear’s side are exempt to the second qualifying round of the FA Cup, due to be played on October 2.