The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Jimmy looking forward to the next 200 matches
‘Here’s to the next 200 games, if they’ll have me,” was Peterborough Sports manager Jimmy Dean’s reaction to reaching the 200 matches as manager milestone at last weekend’s 3-0 Southern Premier Division Central win at Biggleswade Town.
Three titles, three promotions and eight trophies suggests Sports would be mad to let Dean go, especially as he and the club don’t appear anywhere near to finishing their journey up the football ladder.
Sports are top of the table with a maximum nine points from three matches ahead of two mouth-watering games in three days over the Bank Holiday weekend at Stourbridge on Saturday and AFC Rushden & Diamonds on Monday.
Sports have won a staggering 138 matches and lost just 36 of Dean’s matches in charge, an impressive win percentage of 69% over six seasons, two of which were interrupted and then abandoned because of Covid.
“I never thought it would go this well,” Dean said. “I doubt anyone did, but we have never got ahead of ourselves. We just meet the next challenge and do as well as we can.
“I’ve learnt stuff in every season and especially in the one season we struggled - our first as a step four club (Sports suffered
22 defeats that season). It’s frustrating we didn’t get the chance to see how our first season as a step three club would finish as we were top of the league with 33 games played.”
Dan Jarvis, Jordan Nicholson
and Josh McCammon scored the Sports goals at Biggleswade.
“We were very good,” Dean added. “We controlled the game from start to finish, but we will need to step up again this weekend with two games in three days at the homes of clubs with big support. It’s a different environment for us compared the rest
of the season so far, but I have no doubt we will cope.
“Stourbridge have started slowly, but they won’t struggle for long, not with the players they have.
“And Rushden had a good win against Coalville last weekend so they will be a tough test as well.”
Sports have received a boost on the injury front as forward Maniche Sani should be available for the first time this season.
Dean: “I never thought it would go as well as it has. I doubt anyone did.”