I’LL NOT PUT THE BRAKES ON OUR STARS!
PAUL HOLLERAN wouldn’t change Leamington seeing their best players cherry-picked away – if it means more achieve their Football League dreams.
The National League Brakes saw Colby Bishop join League One Accrington Stanley last summer after the striker hit 37 goals in 58 games for them.
His replacement, Josh March, who stepped up from Step 3 Alvechurch, fired in 24 goals in just 27 matches to earn a January move to Forest Green Rovers.
Holleran celebrated 500 games in charge of Leamington back in August and is well respected for his record of taking the club to Step 2 football and returning them following an initial relegation.
But they have also gained success in moving players on and that factors into Holleran’s thinking when he looks back over their season.
“If you look back to the start, we had young Colby Bishop and we’ve managed to make his dreams come true,” Holleran said. “There aren’t many players who’ve made an impact in League football from Non-League like he did. To go and get 12 goals before December, he’s doing fantastic at Accrington.
“We then took another lad, Josh March, from lower league football and threw him in the spotlight. He did brilliant and got his opportunity. He’s made his League debut and scored League goals. From that point of view it’s been brilliant.
“We had a spell from around November to December where we had everybody fit, George Carline on loan, Josh was scoring goals, Dexter Walters from Coventry on the left – along with other things as well – and we looked a good side.
“It’s no coincimoment. the results in that period were very strong and we looked a good unit. Sadly, like other years, we struggled to maintain. George went back [to Solihull Moors], and we lost Josh but we’ve done alright. There were massive pluses.
“We’ve got a little bit of restructuring to do in the off season. We’ve had some ups and some downs but it’s familiar to us in this league. We lose good players but I never begrudge that.”
While the conclusion, on indeed the resumption, of the season remains up in their air for now, Holleran is telling his Brakes to be prepared for everything. The experienced boss sympathises with other clubs’ differing situations and agrees there is no simple answer for how the season should be resolved.
“There’s obviously that very slim possibility there might be some football – it’s looking very doubtful,” Holleran said. “Whatever decision is made you’re sadly not going to appease everyone.
Obstacles
“You look this week at Steps 3-7 – there are still teams with 14 or 15 games. I’ve managed and played in those leagues. You get teams that groundshare, Stourbridge up the road share with the cricket, there are so many obstacles.
“People think you can get those amount of games played in a short time or you do pointsper game – listen, you wouldn’t want to be the one making the call. You can’t keep everyone happy, it’s impossible whatever you decide to do. “Practically, there’s no way we can play the games because we’ve got no idea when we’re going to get back. “Look at our squad – 40 per cent were made up of loan players, they will go back. Contracts finish the first week in May, non contract players. It’s really diffidence
cult. I know rules would change and deadlines would change but there’s a lot to overcome. That’s why, and I hate to say it because the null and void will affect clubs, but you can’t really see any other way of doing it.”
Non-League clubs are going to be hit hard financially but Holleran believes Leamington’s considered approach will reap the benefits during this period.
Sacrifices
“Leamington has always stopped within its means,” Holleran said. “The fact we’ve sold a couple of players this year has been big help to us, the fact we’ve been able to get a grant has helped a bit, plus we’ve had quite a few loan players. “At the minute we’re in no immediate financial issues and we can cope at the Further down the road ,we’re well aware that we, like a lot of clubs, rely on sponsorship and donations.
“In life, you have to take things gradually. You can’t be blind. It can become doom and gloom but bit by bit people have got to rally around. We’ve all got to make sacrifices but we’re in a decent place.
“It’s frustrating when you want to spend a few more quid for a certain player and you’re restricted. But at a time like this, more so than ever, the club is the most important. It’s making sure when we do come back that the club is up and running and ready to go.”
And he joked his players will definitely be the latter.
“We’re not in a position where we can monitor them fully but I know they will be desperate to get out of the house and get on the bike,” he said. “I’ll probably have the fittest set of Leamington players I’ve ever had!”