Liam: Time to draw line under Cam call
LIAM Watson has defended his decision to allow goalkeeper Cam Mason to join Guiseley on a permanent deal – and called for the online trolling of the club’s senior officials to stop.
A minority of fans have lashed out at the departure of popular stopper Mason, despite both player and Watson explaining it was a move which suited all parties.
After a successful first year with the club, Mason had been unable to make training sessions at Southport this season and as a result his form suffered. He moved initially on a monthlong loan, but Guiseley boss Paul Phillips spoke to Watson and the player about making the move permanent, something Mason was very much in favour of.
However, since the deal was announced, chairman Ian Kyle has been the recipient of vitriolic abuse by a handful of detractors, leading to his decision to stay away from the club along with wife Claire.
“Cam was going for a month because he wanted to get games – he needed to get games and be in a position where he was training,” explained manager Watson.
“After a couple of weeks of being away, Paul Phillips called me and said they’d like to take him permanently and ultimately with anything like this, I said you have to speak to the player then come back to us.
“So they have had a discussion with Cam and Cam has expressed that he would be up for moving to Guiseley on a permanent basis. His circumstances have changed in his personal life and he wouldn’t be able to come into training.
“It was not something we had in our mind to happen but the fact Guiseley approached us and spoke to Cam, he was up for going and agreed personal terms on the deal – that’s how it’s happened.
“Cam is closer to home, he can train because they train at a different time to us and it fits in with his personal life. So it became a no-brainer and was taken out of our hands.
“I feel the issue over Cam Mason has been done to death. This whole debate has been turned into something it isn’t and has led to Ian and Claire Kyle – who have done an awful lot of the club – staying away from the club and weighing up whether they want to return to the club and their options going forward because of a lot of personal abuse they got over a football decision – and football decisions are my decisions, no one else’s.
“The abuse they have had online is just so not Southport, it really isn’t, and if you look at it it’s obviously hidden agendas by people as to why this has all come about.
“Ultimately it has to stop, otherwise we are going to lose people who the football club cannot afford to lose.
“Ian feels incredibly let down by people who he felt he had an awful lot of time for. That’s his decision and how he feels about it. But some of the stuff that’s been put online...if we are struggling in certain areas, no problem, we are there and we’re in the roles and sometimes we’re there to be criticised. But let’s come up with ideas for the club, be together like everyone was on Saturday at the ground, pushing in the same direction.”
Watson was referring to the appeal for volunteers to help prepare the pitch for the weekend’s clash against Alfreton – unfortunately, despite a sterling effort from all concerned, the game was postponed.
Watson said it was a game of opinions –but getting personal was overstepping the mark.
“I’m in position as manager and I might make a decision to bring a substitute on or off and it could be wrong or right,” he said. “If it’s wrong, I get criticised, that’s just opinions and that’s sport, we all have opinions. But when it comes to that decision and it’s because you’re a this or you’re a that, that’s personal, it’s nothing to do with football.
“I’ve had that many times over many years. You learn to live with it and it doesn’t bother me. It might bother my family or my mates. I could go an unbeaten eight or nine-game run, lose one and you get ‘Watson Out!’ Whatever!
“But Ian has never had to deal with this, Les (Rooney) hasn’t had to deal with it and all they have done is good.
“We try to do what’s right for the football club. Do you honestly think I want to sell my best players every year? Because trust me, it’s really difficult to replace them. But we do it not only for the football club but also for the players – if someone can quadruple their wages it’s going to have a bearing on their life, you are giving them a platform.
“You only have to look at Doug Tharme, he signed for us on a low after being released by Connor’s Quay, came to Southport and in the January signs for a Championship club. From that point of view, it’s an amazing thing.
“He’s done remarkably well and a lot of that is down to us. But then I have to replace him and we work incredibly hard on recruitment so that we can afford to lose such players when they go, which helps with the club and the profile. I think that should be applauded not criticised.”
Meanwhile, the club’s push for the play-offs was dealt a blow on Tuesday when they dell to a 1-0 defeat at Blyth Spartans in controversial fashion with two goals disallowed for offside and strong penalty claims late on waved away by the referee.
An outraged Liam Watson was adamant both of the offside goals should have stood.
Southport started brightly and had three good chances to take the lead before the home side took advantage of a defensive lapse to score what proved to be the only goal of the game.
Blyth defended well in the second period and were always dangerous on the break and Tony McMillan was forced into making two great saves to keep the visitors in the game.
“We’ve scored two perfectly good goals tonight and not had a stonewall penalty given,” said Watson.
“Poor defending has given them a goal and then once they had that they had something to hang on to and in fairness they saw the game out quite well, kept the ball down the pitch.
“We had one or two half chances after that but never looked like taking them, there was no conviction in the finishing.
“One or two of our bigger players have had pats on the back, but it’s time to start delivering in the final third. I’m not just pointing the finger at the forwards but we are lacking in the final third and we’re not getting the goals.
“I don’t think it was for lack of effort on the night, it was more a lack of quality. We’re at Telford on Saturday where we’ve just got to turn up and make sure we put in a proper performance.*