RESTED TAMPLIN FEELING BOUYANT
GLENN TAMPLIN says he is refreshed and ready for Billericay Town’s National League South title bid – and insists Harry Wheeler will be manager.
The Ricay owner oversaw his club complete the treble last season, winning the Bostik League and League Cup as well as the Essex Senior Cup.
Now at Step 2, Tamplin is raring to go after some much needed rest.
“I’ve been in Thailand for two months doing a bit of soul searching,” he told
The NLP ahead of Billericay’s pre-season friendly at Ebbsfleet. “I thought it would be good to get the Muay Thai fitness camp in for six weeks, having my nose smashed to pieces and being brought back down to earth!
“I’m going to be honest, and this is the first time I’m going to admit this, last year my demons and devils came back. I was fighting addiction for ten years and it got the better of me, I went through a 12-step programme and I ended up getting well and I was well for many years.
“Last year I didn’t use but I was in a bad place. It was the pressure of the financial strain, the media attention, the things that were getting said about me and it all got to me, and I broke because I’m a human being. I can give it the biggun’ on the outside but underneath that mask, I was hurting.
“But you know what, we achieved what we achieved last year and grew with me at 30 per cent. Now I’ve gone away and done my soul searching, I’m going back in with Harry now. Harry and the players want me back as a different man. Harry is number one, Harry is the manager, I’m assistant-manager stroke psychiatrist.
“Watch what we do now with 100 per cent Glenn Tamplin. Watch what we do now with the team we’ve got. Watch what we do now with Harry in charge because he is a much better manager than I will ever be. Now he’s in charge from the word go, we’ve got much more of a chance.”