SMITH LINK IS NEWS TO NIC
JOINT-boss Craig Nicholls has welcomed predecessor Paul Smith’s presence back at Halesowen Town – but insists he knows nothing about his old boss returning.
Coach Nicholls and assistant Martin Sockett stepped up to share the top job when Smith stood down for personal reasons in October with Yeltz top of Northern Premier League Midlands.
Having taken over in the summer of 2019, Smith led Step 4 Halesowen to an FA Trophy semi-final and a two-way title battle that was disrupted by Covid.
Last season’s third place and defeat in the play-offs divided an expectant fanbase but far bigger things entered the equation with Smith stepping away following the tragic losses of his father-in-law and father in quick succession.
Nicholls and Sockett were handed the reins until the end of the season and a yield of 22 points from 10 matches has maintained a slender advantage over unbeaten Spalding United at the summit.
But what would happen if Smith felt ready to return?
“It would be a conversation between me, the football club and Martin,” replied Nicholls.
“When Paul decided to leave, we both spoke to Karen (Brookes, chair) and Keith (McKenna, director of football) to say we were ready to take it.
“I have not heard that Paul wants to come back at any point, I know he has been around the club a bit more lately but that is because he is part of what we are doing this season, he started us off.
“Also, I would like him around. He is someone who is good to talk to, he knows the game, the league and the area and you can bounce ideas off him.
“Martin and I have worked with him for a few years, we have kept in touch and Keith speaks to him quite regularly as well – I have coached Paul’s two kids and have known the family for years so we are going to speak.
Relentless
“If we need players or he knows someone that could be interested we are always going to have a conversation.
“At the moment I am doing what I have been put in charge to do, Martin and I have been given the opportunity to be joint-managers until the end of the season, if anything changes between now and then a conversation will be had.”
Any dropped stitch turns online talk towards the management but Nicholls does not see himself as holding the fort.
“I want to get promoted with this club and take it to the next level, that is the remit,” he said.
“I am an ambitious manager,
I have been waiting for an opportunity like this and it has arrived at a club that I love being a part of – why would I want to do anything else?”
And while Nicholls knows the pace at the top is likely to remain “relentless”, he believes a calm approach is working for Yeltz.
“I think that shows what kind of people me and Martin are,” he said.
“We don’t go shouting and screaming on social media, we don’t talk about who we are signing or what other clubs are doing, it is about what we do.
“The tough times come when you lose. We lost twice in quick succession and the wheels could have come off but they didn’t because we didn’t shout and scream or make wholesale changes, we just stuck to the plan.
“I think the lads like that we don’t shout and scream at them, we trust them. You cannot win every game, it is about how you bounce back from those difficult times.”