'I'll be happy whoever wins': A man with a foot in both camps looks ahead to Blackpool's FA Cup clash with Eastbourne Borough

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His friends and family are calling it the Ramalli derby – and he says he’ll be happy whoever wins.
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Neil Critchley says Blackpool squad is stretched for FA Cup test

Karl Ramalli will be a more-than-interested viewer when Eastbourne Borough take on League One Blackpool live on BT Sport on Sunday afternoon.

For his football journey about the firmest link you’ll find between two clubs who have had little if any cause to worry about one another before now.

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Ramalli is head of academy recruitment at Blackpool and coaches the club’s under-seven to under-nine academy teams.

Yet he started his football career as an under-12 playing for Langney Sports, the club that became Eastbourne Borough nearly 20 years ago.

He still has family in and around Eastbourne and watches Borough when he comes down to visit the folks.

Alongside him when he does get to a match at Priory Lane (in normal times of crowds, that is) you’ll often find Darren Baker – the Sports’ highest-ever appearance maker and one of Ramalli’s closest pals, who was best man at his wedding.

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Ramalli, pictured centre front with the ball, while playing for Langney Sports, the club that became Eastbourne BoroughRamalli, pictured centre front with the ball, while playing for Langney Sports, the club that became Eastbourne Borough
Ramalli, pictured centre front with the ball, while playing for Langney Sports, the club that became Eastbourne Borough

Other long-time friends of Ramalli include Graham Overton, who was Borough’s under-18 coach and is father of Ben Overton, now part of Danny Bloor’s squad; and Darren Kendall, who used to live opposite Ramalli and is the uncle of local lad Charley Kendall, who has just joined Borough on loan from QPR and got the winner against Welling last Saturday.

PE teacher Ramalli’s Eastbourne links are many so you can imagine his disbelief when his current employers were drawn to visit Priory Lane in the Cup first round draw.

“Eastbourne haven’t been particularly lucky in the FA Cup and it’s quite rare for them to get to the first round,” he told The Gazette's sister paper, the Eastbourne Herald.

“I saw they’d beaten Dulwich in the fourth qualifying round but I didn’t really think about the draw.

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Ramalli is now head of academy recruitment at BlackpoolRamalli is now head of academy recruitment at Blackpool
Ramalli is now head of academy recruitment at Blackpool

“On the Monday night I was out coaching some under-sevens and under-eights and when I got in, my wife said ‘Have you seen the Cup draw?’

“I couldn’t believe it.

“I won’t be at the game – obviously the numbers travelling with a squad are limited at the moment anyway. In fact I was due to be out coaching on Sunday but the latest lockdown means I probably won’t be now, so I’ll be able to watch on TV.”

Ramalli is diplomatic when asked for a prediction.

“Whoever wins I’ll be happy. I am just hoping that a couple of the lads I’ve helped get into the Blackpool set-up – people like Cameron Antwi and Brad Holmes – might play.

“That would be amazing, it really would.”

Ramalli was born and brought up in the Hampden Park area of Eastbourne and after he took up football, he joined Langney Sports as an under-12 in the mid-1980s.

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He went through the age groups in a team that won numerous honours, including the county cup three times, and also represented his schools and Eastbourne Sixth Form College.

Ramalli went into coaching, in line with his chosen career as a PE teacher, though after meeting his wife and moving to Lancashire in 2000, his football activity stopped for a decade.

After he started helping his son’s junior team, he met Alan Kelly, the former Ireland goalkeeper, and the coaching resumed.

After doing his badges he was picked up by Blackpool, first as academy coach, then scout, leading to his present role.

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