SMITH HAS HIS LAMBS READY FOR LAST PUSH
TAMWORTH joint-boss Gary Smith can’t wait to finish what they started this season – but says he is happy to wait until it’s safe to do so.
The Lambs sit second in the BetVictor Southern Premier Central, level on points with leaders Peterborough Sports.
But with three games in hand, club legend Smith hopes his side will get the chance to cap a return to Step 2 – but he doesn’t want to rush back for the sake of it.
“It’s a terrible situation to find ourselves in and I feel sorry for the players who have given their all since the start of the season to get us so close to promotion,” Smith told The NLP.
“The players have worked tirelessly, putting their bodies on the line to try and achieve something special and then to have it potentially taken away is a shame.
“Everything is so up in the air and until this pandemic leaves I cannot see us restarting any time soon. If we do it will be like starting the season all over again.
“Promotion is very much still the aim for us and the mission is still to be a Step 2 club next season, that won’t change. But with that being said, we have to have some perspective. I cannot stress how important it is to make sure we all stay healthy and virus free.”
After a rocky few years for Tamworth, Smith and co-boss Andrew Danylysyn have steadied the ship since taking over from Dennis Greene just over a year ago.
And with the recent league suspension putting additional pressure on many clubs, Smith is well aware of the disastrous impact the disruption could have.
“This evil virus has brought not just football but the world to its knees, and we have to come together and fight it so we can get back to normal life,” Smith added.
“Every club up and down the country are all in the same situation. It will cost some clubs their existence, it will cost people their livelihoods and leave many a person out of pocket.
“Not only that, but there is so much to be resolved in terms of promotions and relegations. There will be some people that feel hard done by however the league decide to finish things.