'You simply can't walk away' - Hand offers to quit Littlehampton Town - and is talked out of it
Littlehampton Town joint boss Mitch Hand has revealed he offered to resign and was talked out of it – and now he and fellow manager George Gaskin want to work with everyone at the club to turn around their fortunes.
The Marigolds are in the Isthmian South Central relegation zone after a poor start to the season which has included 8-1 and 6-1 defeats – and after the latter result, at Binfield 12 days ago, Hand said he offered to resign but it was not accepted.
Chairman Rob McAlees has held talks with Hand and Gaskin and afterwards the club reaffirmed their commitment to the duo and assistant manager Steve Tabor, with the committee remaining fully behind the management team as they continue a three-year agreement announced last May.
McAlees said after meeting the managers: “There's no getting away from the fact that our recent results haven't been good enough, and everyone at the club recognises that.
“We've had an honest and constructive discussion this week, and the managers understand what is required. They've given me assurances that they'll work hard to improve things on the pitch, and that's what we all want to see.
“George and Mitch have given a huge amount to this football club, alongside Steve, and the committee remains committed to supporting them. We agreed a three-year deal last May because we believe in what they can achieve here, and that commitment hasn't changed because of a difficult spell. We're not looking to make a change; we want to see them deliver on the agreement and move the club forward.”
Hand told the Littlehampton Gazette and sussexworld: "The support from the chairman has been unbelievable and we’re incredibly lucky to have the relationship with him we do. We’ve worked together as player/managers for the best part of 20 years so there’s a lot of respect there.
"On the Saturday when we lost at Binfield I personally offered my resignation to the club. The results simply haven’t been good enough and the responsibility for that falls on my head. I had a call from the chairman directly after the game asking me to reconsider and meet with him and some committee members.
"We then played Westfield on the Tuesday night (which finished 1-1) where the players were aware of the situation and reacted in a way I didn’t fully expect – one of our best and most committed performances of the season earned us a great point against a top side.
"The meeting we then had was the club not only backing us for this season but wanting to see the club through the planned developments at the ground.
"I went into the meeting 50/50 but when you’ve got the full support of the chairman and committee members you simply can’t walk away from them, it really is a unique club with good honest people. You learn way more about people when things are difficult and I couldn’t be happier with people we work with day to day.
"The whole club needs a bit of a shake-up, we need to inject some life back into the place and our job is to try to make that visible from the pitch and performances of the lads.
"We’ve always been aware that Littlehampton competing at this level is a constant uphill battle, but recently we’ve lost that work ethic and fighting spirit that sees us through. We’ve got to get that back and quickly. Tough fixtures are coming up but it’s about showing people what we’re about in the coming months to turn this season around.”
Meanwhile McAlees said he would continue to prioritise the club's long-term future off the pitch, particularly the proposed multi-million-pound redevelopment of The Sportsfield.
“It's important that we look at the bigger picture as well as what's happening on a Saturday,” he added. “We have an exciting opportunity to transform the Sportsfield, and I want to make sure we're doing everything we can to turn those plans into reality.
“The proposed redevelopment, subject to securing the necessary funding and planning permission, would be a huge step forward for the football club and everyone who uses the Sportsfield. It would give us the facilities and infrastructure we need to protect our future and build for the years ahead.
“My responsibility is to keep driving those plans forward off the pitch, while the management team works to improve performances on it. We all want the same thing: a successful Littlehampton Town, both on and off the field.
“We know results need to improve, and we understand the frustration supporters may be feeling. All we ask is that everyone continues to get behind the team. The committee believes in this management team, and our focus is on working together to get the club moving in the right direction again.”
The Golds visit Egham in the league on Saturday then Faversham in the Velocity Trophy on Tuesday.