SAM ELLIOTT
Can the Dream Team of Gifton Noel-Williams and Luther Blissett turn things around at Burnham?
ONE of football’s unwritten rules: you’re never too good to go down. It doesn’t matter who you are, tread carefully when going public with any bold predictions. They have a tendency to come back and bite you. Usually those who do come out with such bold statements are the novices, cocksure players confident in their team-mates’ ability or chairmen desperate to keep bums on seats. They aren’t usually the legends of the game. And they usually aren’t in charge of a club who have lost every one of their 15 games, letting in 72 goals in the process. Luther Blissett has never been shy of expressing an opinion. He thinks it, he says it. Burnham, where he’s a director of football development, are a bit of a basketcase club. Sitting in the top eight of the Southern Premier less than two years ago, they have tumbled and tumbled. The club are rooted to the bottom of the Hellenic League, the tiny crowds they once had at Step 3 are somewhat smaller as they seemingly lurch towards Step 6 football. But Burnham and the man who has been keeping their dug-out warm since Dave Tuttle quit aren’t short of belief. They have a new manager, another former Watford player, their injury-hit former striker Gifton Noel-Williams. Gifton will be Gifted if he can perform a miracle, but Blissett, 58, doesn’t just think he will keep them in the league – he knows he will. Some confidence in a defence that has had 11, nine, eight and seven goals go in against them in the first two months of the season and in a rookie manager, but you can’t help but admire his poise. “We won’t get relegated, not now,” said Blissett when we caught up following the club’s announcement. “There’s no way we’ll be in this position in the New Year – that’s how confident I am. We need that first point, we scored our first goal at home on Tuesday night – we’re on our way!”
Desire
Certainly, things can only get better. The Watford connection, with Blissett now returning to his development role, could turn heads. The pair are fantastic coaches, NoelWilliams charged with pushing local young talent through. It’s something Luther is passionate about. “We’ve got a hungry manager and despite what people think, I had no idea he applied – this is not former Watford players doing favours,” he said. “He stood out, he’s got desire and although the table doesn’t look good, he knows he can turn things around and has the same belief we’ll stay in the league and be at the other end of the table next season. “We have to try and create something out of what has been a disaster, but we’re looking further ahead. It may look murky, but this is about the club developing and building for the future.” It’s hard not to wish them well, if they can get Burnham bouncing again after the start they’ve had then we may have a candidate for our manager of the season award!