News

The Club confirms that the interim team will take charge of the remaining six games of the season but will soon begin to advertise for Jepson’s replacement who will take over the reins post season.
Interested parties are kindly requested to wait until the manager role is advertised before expressing interest.

Commenting on the decision to part company with Jepson, Norton said: "Everyone at the club is absolutely gutted that things haven't worked out for Jeppo following his appointment with us. As a board of directors, we were all extremely excited when he joined us and hoped that he could help us get what had been yet another difficult season back on track. Despite all his hard work and efforts, however, it's clear to all that it just hasn't worked out for both him and the club, and the decision was made to part ways."

He added: "Jeppo tried hard to instill his methods and ways of working within the team, but it didn't quite take hold. He had some horrific luck when it came to injuries and player unavailability, which, whilst part and parcel of the game, seemed more frequent than usual when you analyse the situation. By his own admission, he perhaps brought in too many players, several of whom were only here for a few weeks before moving on, which certainly didn't help in establishing a settled side."

Regarding the interim management arrangement, Norton added: "With just six games remaining, we opted for continuity at this stage. The board has decided against appointing anyone from outside for the time being, and we will proceed with our interim team for the rest of the season. I'm very grateful to Jacob Sturgess for returning to support us, given the valuable assistance he provided in a similar situation following Carl Abbott's departure. I'm also delighted that Steve Titterton will remain with us as part of the team, given his existing connection with the current squad. Courtney joining us will also add another dimension to the group.

On Belford's addition, Norton explained: "Following yesterday's decision, I began contacting some of my old connections seeking player recommendations for areas in the squad we might need to strengthen. One of these conversations was with Dale Belford, who's still a good friend having played for me previously. He recommended I speak with Courtney given his extensive player contacts and after meeting Courtney last night before training, it was agreed that he would come in and help us for the remaining games and especially any recruitment we might need before the signing deadline later this month.

Norton acknowledged that Jepson's tenure was the latest in and a line of recent appointments that haven't met expectations: "As a board of directors, we recognise that our last few management appointments have fallen well short of what we had hoped for as a club and more importantly what our supporters deserve. Any manager recruitment decisions were made by an interviewing panel and ratified by the collective board with the best of intensions but unfortunately, for various reasons, the most recent appointments of Strez, Abbo in his return stint, and Jeppo, have not yielded the desired results."

Norton added: "It's easy in hindsight for anyone to look back and criticise the appointments we've made given they haven't worked out, and I more than anyone feel that burden of responsibility personally. Despite that, it's important we look forward, and we will continue to work hard to find the right manager to take our great club forward once again long-term. Abbo was perhaps as close as we've had for a long time, given that amazing promotion season from the UCL a few years back, but outside of that, and for a variety of reasons going back some years, things have not quite worked out for us.

"Our supporters and hard-working volunteers, who are the lifeblood of this club, deserve more than they have been getting these last few seasons. It's not been through a lack of effort from those involved, and I would never criticise anyone as I know firsthand the hard work put in by managers, but for whatever reason, things haven't worked out. As a Board of directors, we will sit down and assess things at the end of the season whichever league we end up in, but following Saturday's abject display, it was clear to see that after an 8th straight defeat and our 5th in a row at home, we had hit a new low point and we couldn’t continue without making some sort of change.

Norton concluded: "Whatever happens in our last six games will be what it will be, but as long as anyone who wears the shirt shows the required pride, passion and commitment and puts in everything they can out there on the pitch, then I can have no complaints. Given our horrific run of results many will have already written us off and of course It will be a huge challenge for us to lift this group as they are clearly bereft of individual and collective confidence and, given the player turnover, seem to lack any togetherness and cohesion. But we are where we are, and we will do all we can over the next five weeks of the season to change that situation."