How cheese and tomato rolls show Hollington United boss he's at the right club

Jake Lovall - aged 13 - asks the questions as Hollington United boss Scott Price is grilled about the Mid Sussex League premier season...
Scott Price and Hollington Utd celebrate Intermediate Cup success in 2019Scott Price and Hollington Utd celebrate Intermediate Cup success in 2019
Scott Price and Hollington Utd celebrate Intermediate Cup success in 2019

JL: What do you want the team to have achieved at the end of the season?

SP: For me it’s about getting back our identity. Last season we lost our way a bit in terms of what we are about.

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The players in pre-season have a new energy about them. The whole club is buzzing and the amount of work being done off the pitch is unbelievable, especially as everyone is a volunteer.

Where do you see the club in five years?

Five years? I don’t even know what I’m doing next week! But Hollington hopefully will have established themselves as a chartered club, with the youth section building the foundations for the future and continue working with the community. The senior side will take care of itself.

Do you think this is a new beginning for the club?

I’d say it’s more that the club have realised how important they are for not just football but for the whole community. This club has always won trophies and it will always win trophies.

Do you want to bring in more local people?

Bringing more local people to the game is always going to be good. Since I’ve been here I’ve seen crowds of over 300 on five or six occasions – remarkable considering we are playing intermediate football.

Do you think the youth section is working well?

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Yes 100 per cent. You have to remember we are not an academy, we don’t pick and choose who we sign – we simply welcome children of any age, gender and ability and we make sure it’s affordable too. All the coaches and committee members do it for the love of the game. Hopefully we can add more teams to our ever-growing set up but Dave and Noreen have done a fantastic job continuing the good work by Grant and Kelly Wenham.

Any new signings?

We have a few signed on. Ben Radley, Harrison Robb, Jordan Harley, Lewis Mcguigan have joined this season, which will no doubt make us stronger. I’d like one more if I’m honest but we will see.

What are the club’s views of the proposed new ground by Hastings Utd – and is it true you were offered the chance to ground-share?

The town 100 per cent needs a facility like they have proposed but it obviously has to suit all the clubs who use the facility and the surrounding clubs, in my opinion. As for being offered the chance to ground-share, well we’ve had a few meetings but we’ve not been offered anything.

Predictions for the season?

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We’re going to have fun on and off the pitch, we can’t compete financially with some clubs chucking money at it but we will be the ‘old Hollington’.

In your fifth year in charge, are you still as motivated as in your first?

I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.I’m where I want to be. My whole family are involved, from being on the committee to just coming to watch. I have the players I want, the management team I want and trust – and I get made a cheese and tomato roll by my mother-in-law every home game. What else can I ask for?!

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