NEIL’S STILL CHOSEN ONE FOR REBELS
NEIL Reynolds says he is determined to repay FC United’s faith in him after agreeing to extend his contract as manager until April 2026.
The former Bamber Bridge boss joined the Broadhurst Park club in October 2018 and has consolidated the Red Rebels’ Step 3 status in NPL Premier.
And as the ambitious fan-owned club set their sights on progressing up the leagues, they have labelled the boss as the right man to take the club forward, much to Reynolds’ delight.
“The club wanted to tie down my services because they believe in the process and the progression of the club,” Reynolds said. “With their faith in me, I can repay the faith and get the club higher up the football table.
“My job as manager is to win football games, we’ve won four of our last six and if we can get the club towards the play-offs that would be great. I’m always putting pressure on myself to get the best out of the squad and this season so far hasn’t gone to plan, but we’re all behind each other.
“When the club is geared up financially to push towards Step 2 then the pressure for promotion comes with that.
“We recruited in the summer but injuries and suspensions hit us hard. We need our best players out there and unfortunately have had some of them sat in the stands due to long term injury because of that. Halfway through the season we’re targeting a top 10 finish but that’s dependent keeping our best players fit.
United lie 16th in the table before yesterday and are also still in the Fenix Trophy – a European competition which the club won in its inaugural year.
Reynolds is proud of the club’s model of fan ownership and is keen to keep developing its goood name for producing young players.
“Since I joined in October 2018 we’ve developed 18 players who have gone to play in Championship, League 1 or League 2,” he said.
“We have a really good relationship with the majority of Football League club, they trust us with their potential players coming through because our facilities at FC United are second to none and the crowds give the players exposure that they don’t get at U23 level.
“Guy Hall, Declan McLoughlin and Dontai Gabidon are three young side players in our squad that are catching the headlines this season and doing really well, I’m sure they’ll go on to play higher levels of football.
“When we formed in 2005 critics said it won’t last until Christmas. Our slogan is “Making friends not millionaires, we’re a club that’s not for profit but everyone works hard at the club. Taunton Town and Nuneaton have recently fallen out of the pyramid due to finances. We have a policy of one member one vote and we’re proud of it.”