Jamie Coyle knows all about the Thanet rivalry as Margate and Ramsgate meet for a place in the Kent Senior Cup final. Rams boss Coyle has had a foot in both camps, working as assistant manager at Hartsdown Park under Jay Saunders before moving to Southwood, initially as a player, on the eve of last season.
It’s 14 years since the sides were in the same league - Rams suffering Isthmian Premier relegation in 2009 - but the rivalry has been kept alive by the annual pre-season Thanet Cup.
Coyle, standing in for Saunders, led Margate to a 5-2 victory at Ramsgate in the 2021 clash, and was part of the Rams side who won 2-1 at Hartsdown Park last summer.
Hartsdown is the venue for tonight’s Kent Senior Cup semi-final, with the winners facing Welling or Chatham in the final at Priestfield on May 3.