New boss Killpartrick ready for a battle

Darin Killpartrick leads the Rocks into a new era by vowing: We're ready for one big battle.

The popular first-team coach has been named caretaker-manager following the resignations of boss Mick Jenkins and his right-hand man Andy Awford.

Killpartrick knows he will have the toughest job imaginable on his hands to keep Bognor in Conference South and admits the priority now is to build a new team for next season.

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But he said although it would be 'extremely difficult' to avoid relegation, it was not impossible.

The 36-year-old, who played 120 games for the club and has been coach for the past five years, has the backing of the committee and the fans as Bognor look to play out the rest of the season on a playing budget of just 1,200 a week.

That's around a quarter of the average budget for the division and about a tenth of what the richest Conference South clubs shell out.

Killpartrick's first job was to appoint former Southampton FC youth coach Kevin Braybrook as his assistant. Skipper Duncan Jupp is also expected to take on a coaching role.

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A return to the manager's seat for Rocks stalwart Michael Birmingham has been talked about, but will not happen at the moment.

But Killpartrick is only a caretaker and says he does not know if he will want the job long-term '“ in which case a return for Birmingham could be on the cards.

The next task for Killpartrick is keeping together the squad who have kept the Rocks in touch with the other strugglers in the division, while finding new young players to join.

Midfielder Paul Hinshelwood has already joined Havant & Waterlooville, and there is talk the Hawks also want winger Louie Castles and keeper Chris Tardif.

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Killpartrick said no-one else had left but he couldn't rule out other departures.

He told the Observer: "I've been made caretaker manager and there's an opportunity for me longer-term if I want it.

"But I'm busy with my job at Chichester College and I don't know if I'd want to be manager in the long run.

"The way I see it is I'm looking after the job while Jack Pearce is ill, and once he is better and maybe once we reach the end of the season, we will all look at things then.

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"I'm honoured to be managing the team. I want to put a smile on people's faces and I will do things my own way.

"The style of play may be different '“ I've been educated by Jack in that respect.

"Kevin Braybrook will start at training tonight as my assistant. He has a wealth of experience at pro level and a great pedigree and he doesn't want much money for it.

"We need to go down the route of younger players. It may be that one or two others of the present squad leave, but I believe Kevin and I will both be able to attract good, young, local players.

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"Really, we're building for next season. In the situation we are in, it will be extremely difficult to avoid relegation, but we will do the best we can with the resources we have.

"We need to fix our bayonets, put on our tin helmets, go out and try to play good football and see where we get.

"The ship needs steadying and I hope I can do that."

Killpartrick is head of football at Chichester College and hopes to build strong links between the college, which produces some good young footballers, and the club.

"The art of a good coach is getting hold of players others won't take risks on, developing them '“ then putting them into the cauldron to see how they cope," he added.

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