SAM WILL NOT LEAVE HIS BLUES IN DEEP WATERS
LOYAL Sam Waters says he wouldn’t leave struggling Fleet Town in the lurch despite standing down as interim first-team manager to take up a dream coaching job at Southampton.
Waters has battled against all odds to keep the Blues afloat in Evo-Stik Southern Division One South this season after the club were controversially switched from the Central Division in the summer, putting their future at serious risk.
With the help of former co-boss Koo Dumbuya, Waters worked miracles in piecing together a side from scratch just three weeks before the start of the season, although the club struggled to adapt to the extra cost of travelling which they have incurred in this division, taking just one point from their opening eight league games before yesterday.
The Hampshire club feared that worst would follow when stand-in chief Waters – the former Aldershot Town Academy coach – reluctantly turned down an offer to take the job permanently in order to work for Southampton’s notorious youth set-up.
But instead of just upping sticks and heading down the M3 on a handshake, Waters has accepted a place on the club’s committee as Head of Football at Calthorpe Park, working alongside coaching partner Dave Kelly, who has been installed as first-team manager.
In a statement issued this week, Waters explained: “I regret to announce that I have decided not to accept the club’s offer to instate me permanently as first team manager, this is because I have been offered an opportunity to further my coaching career which I simply cannot turn down.
“As a club we have made incredible progress in such a short space of time, to be relatively competitive at this level given the circumstances and resources available to the club is a real achievement.
“Despite stepping down as manager I will not be leaving the club and will instead be accepting a place on the club’s committee as Head of Football to provide continuity and ensure the progress that has been made continues.
“We know we are not far away now from turning that corner and we know that given the average age of our squad is 19-20, the team and players will go from strength to strength which is why I am extremely disappointed not to be able to remain in my current capacity.
“Our objective is to ensure the football club remains at Step 4 and to do that we must start winning games. We are confident that as this squad continues to gel and develop, we will begin to get the results that our performances have deserved.”