NEW Ks MOVE IS LAST ACT FOR LANE
SIMON LANE says Kingstonian’s decision to up sticks once again and agree a new groundshare was the catalyst in forcing him to quit as manager.
Lane joined the struggling Ks 12 months ago from Westfield and dragged them out of the Isthmian Premier relegation zone last season to ensure the club’s Step 3 status for a 15th straight season.
But the boss has found life more difficult this time around with the Ks having collected three points from a possible 15 leaving the club rock bottom in the table and without a win since October.
The nomadic Surrey club have been playing out of Tooting & Mitcham United’s Imperial Sports Ground for the last two seasons but announced last week they had agreed a new groundshare at Prince George’s Playing Fields, home of Raynes Park Vale.
That proved the final straw for Lane, whose concerns were shared in a rather bizarrely transparent club statement.
“It’s with a heavy, heavy heart that I confirm that I have resigned as manager of Kingstonian,” it read. “After hearing of some major adjustments for the immediate future that the club is forced to make, it is now clear that the difficult task of keeping the club afloat in this incredibly competitive league with our unique economics confirms that the role has been untenable for me.
“As someone who needs to win in life with a natural competitive nature, the prospect of the near future is painful to consider.
“I was so proud to have come in last year and save the club from relegation when it was in a perilous position. It was one of my biggest achievements in my long career. But, despite realising that our budget this year was well adrift of almost every other team in this incredibly tough league, I stayed loyal, to fight and form a team to be as competitive as we could be in every game. We have been a match for everyone in each game tactically, in organisation and effort, but lacking in quality to turn that into enough points.
“The toxicity around the club has been an unwelcome distraction for the players and staff, especially when trying to recruit and, although I see both sides of the disagreement very clearly, I have had to walk that thin line hoping to try to unify us.”
Ks chairman Yioryos Vasilaras said: “This season, with a playing budget identical to last season’s, despite Simon’s best endeavours, results have not been acceptable.
“Simon has struggled to sign the right quality of player at various stages this season, he wanted assurances that I just could not give him.
“As nothing is guaranteed in football as it is in life, and equally he wasn’t willing to commit to our project whole-heartedly due in part to both his personal and professional life moving forward.
“Our discussions this week have been amicable, ultimately I feel that Simon leaving is the right decision for both parties at this stage. Simon is a fantastic person, he’s professional, extremely hard working and has a genuine love for the club.”