COVO: I’M NOT DONE JUST YET
JOHN Coventry has left East Thurrock United after close to two decades at Rookery Hill – but he insists he is not retiring.
Coventry announced in February that he was walking away from Rocks at the end of this season after 19 years in various roles with the club.
The coronavirus epidemic has resulted in the BetVictor Isthmian Premier League season being finishing prematurely, but Coventry insists he could yet return to management football in the future.
“I am not happy with the way I left East Thurrock,” said ‘Coventry, who took over the management reins in 2007 and led the club from Step 4 to Step 2. “Things could have been done differently but I am old enough to understand these things happen.
“It is up in the air with regards to what could happen next for me, but I am not retiring.
Emotional
“I have had a few phone calls where people have enquired about what I am up to. It’s nice to know people are still interested in me and I massively appreciate that.
“Whether I want to jump back into another managerial job, I can’t answer that at the moment because noone can say when football will return.
“Football is on my mind 24/7 still and I will talk to anyone about getting back into the game because that is the respectful thing to do.
“It’s not about waiting for the best offer because I genuinely don’t know what I want to do at this stage.”
While Coventry was due to mark the end of his remarkable 13-season tenure as boss with a home clash with Corinthian-Casuals on April 25, he waved goodbye to Rookery Hill last weekend without the proper send-off that his long service deserved.
Coventry took to social media to post a picture of himself at Rocks’ home for the last time, accompanied by the message “Goodbye East Thurrock FC”.
Naturally, he was overwhelmed by the response.
“I was emotional after the messages I got and I massively appreciated all of them,” he added.
“A hell of a lot of messages came through and they all said nice things.
“I have got away with the emotional side of leaving because I didn’t have to walk away crying at the end of my last game.
New roles
“Instead, I said goodbye with the stadium being empty and no-one able to see how emotional I was.”
The Rocks, meanwhile, have handed three former players senior roles at the club to replace the departing Coventry.
Former defender Steve Wiseman, part of Roger Bond’s side which won promotion to the Isthmian League in 1991-92, has been named as the club’s new chairman, while Steve Robinson, previously the long-serving chairman, secretary and owner of Southend Manor, is the new vice-chairman and secretary.
And former goalkeeper and manager Glen Case – the club’s all-time leading appearance maker with 642 games – has the job of maintaining the pitch at Rookery Hill.
Jean Walker becomes the club treasurer.