Margate player-boss Ben Greenhalgh is backing calls for the Kent Senior Cup to be relaunched as a pre-season competition.

The idea was first mooted by departing Tonbridge manager Jay Saunders last month, with the competition having lost some of its appeal in recent years.

Playmaker Greenhalgh, still only 32, thinks the rebranded tournament, potentially played in a group-stage format before moving into knockout rounds, could fit nicely into sides’ summer schedules in place of pre-season friendlies.

He said: “It’s a good point that Jay made, but I’ve not spoken to him directly about it.

“It could spice pre-season up. Sometimes as a non-league team, you have got between seven and nine pre-season friendlies.

“I’ve been with pro teams where you go on tour and there’s an extra element of competitiveness to it. It could help bring crowds in, as well.

“I think the Kent FA should probably look into it.”

Gate - the 2022/23 Kent Senior Cup winners - were knocked out at the second-round stage of the competition at Herne Bay, having edged out fierce Thanet rivals Ramsgate 1-0 in front of a crowd of nearly 2,000 at Southwood in round one.

“We’ve played Ramsgate in the season,” said Greenhalgh, who thinks the final could still be held at the end of the campaign. “What a brilliant occasion it was!

“But at the same time, we had to chop and change because we had an FA Cup game after that.

“We had Hythe the year before and, where players are feeling it, priorities start to become these other games, which is a shame.

“I’ve had some great memories in the Kent Cup. It was the first thing I won when I was at Welling when I was 16.

“At Margate, we try to take it seriously because I think our fans do. Just look at what we did two years ago.

“I don’t want the Kent Cup to be something no one cares about. I want to scream about the fact I’ve won it three times and it could be a brilliant move for fans, as well.

“I think it could be a really good move.”

In league matters, meanwhile, Isthmian South East play-off occupants Gate came from behind to draw 1-1 with Broadbridge Heath last weekend.

Greenhalgh reflected: “We let in an early goal against Sittingbourne last Tuesday and let in an early goal on Saturday, which is frustrating.

“We generally come out of the blocks really well. Even at Eastbourne, we were 2-0 up inside 10 minutes earlier this month.

“At half-time on Saturday, being 1-0 down, that wasn’t good enough.

“We then put in one of the most dominating second-half performances of the season but, because we were 1-0 down, we couldn’t quite completely turn it around.

“The ball did fall sometimes for us in the second half, but we just didn’t end up with it in the back of the net.”

Winger TT Walters promptly got Margate level at Hartsdown Park with his first club goal in the early stages of the second half but, despite the visitors losing skipper Kyle Sim to a second caution late on, they held on for a point.

“TT’s first start was last Tuesday,” said Greenhalgh, who has also recently recruited returning midfielder Sam Blackman and defender Emmanuel Oke with Walters.

“He had got an assist at Eastbourne before he got his goal on Saturday.

“He’s good at committing full-backs.

“On Saturday, he scored that goal - and we needed that quality. Frustratingly, we just needed someone else to show that sort of quality. But it was good for TT to get off the mark.

“It’s really on those three players (Walters, Blackman and Oke) to push us on and keep putting in the performances that they have done so far.”

Gate will host relegation-threatened Littlehampton on Saturday.

Greenhalgh said: “These teams are fighting for three points.

“At the end of the day, we need to work on how we break down teams a bit better, but I don’t want to over-analyse our performances. We’re creating the chances and it’s just not falling for us.

“We know no game in this league is going to be a walkover.

"We always said 75 points was our target originally to get into the play-offs and we’re eight off that, and we’re pretty much bang on our two-points-per-game target. It’s not all doom and gloom.

“But we will work on things this week and try to get the job done on Saturday.”