Sacked Whitstable Town manager Justin Luchford says he might turn his back on football management
Exclusive by Alex Hoad
Justin Luchford admits he might turn his back on football
management after being sacked by Whitstable Town during training on
Tuesday night.
Luchford took over at The Belmont 12 months ago and steered the
Oystermen to Ryman League, Division 1 South safety last season but,
after a costly overhaul of the squad, which ignited hopes of a
play-off push, Town are second-bottom and have lost five straight
games after Saturday’s 3-2 reverse at struggling Three Bridges.
Luchford was relieved of his duties by chairman Gary Johnson on
Tuesday night and the former Faversham and Horsham boss revealed:
"I was expecting a conversation but I wasn’t expecting the
sack.
"I told him there was no way I was resigning. I believe I can do
the job but he told me he and the board had no faith in me."
Luchford added: "It’s too early. The results aren’t great but
we’re 12 games in with a brand new team, we’ve had some key
injuries and we’ve barely lost a game by more than a goal.
"We’re not getting hammered, we’re not adrift at the bottom of
the league, we’re nine points off the play-offs. I have the support
of the players and a couple of wins and we’d have been right up the
table. Fair enough if we were adrift in the bottom three at the end
of January but this is ridiculous."
Luchford admitted: "I’ve had enough and I honestly don’t know if
I will ever be back. I am gutted and I don’t know if I have
anything left to give."
Luchford revealed he was left ‘fuming’ by Mr Johnson’s
suggestion that he no longer had the backing of the Town players,
explaining: "That’s just not true. I lost respect for him when he
said that.
"These players didn’t come to play for the club or the chairman,
they came to play for me.
"I’ve had so many texts from players and other managers who
can’t believe it.
"We lost in the 94th minute on Saturday and there were six
players down on the floor at the end, devastated. Does that suggest
they were not playing for me? It’s a farcical decision,
pathetic."
Luchford's No2 Richard Langley and player-coach Nicky Southall
will take charge of team affairs as Town face three games in seven
days starting with Saturday's visit of Chipstead.
14/11/12
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