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Ashford United co-owner Lloyd Hume succeeds Danny Kedwell as manager of the Isthmian South East club

Ashford United co-owner Lloyd Hume has taken over as manager following the departure of Danny Kedwell.

Hume will be in charge initially until the end of the season and has appointed Darren Hare as his assistant.

Lloyd Hume, right, pictured with co-owner Dave Warr, has succeeded Danny Kedwell as Ashford manager. Picture: Ian Scammell
Lloyd Hume, right, pictured with co-owner Dave Warr, has succeeded Danny Kedwell as Ashford manager. Picture: Ian Scammell

Management is nothing new to the former defender, who led Maidstone to back-to-back Kent League and Isthmian Division 1 South titles in 2006 and 2007.

He’s also had spells in charge at Fisher and Rochester and was assistant manager at Tonbridge under Alan Walker, who is director of football at Ashford these days.

Kedwell left Ashford on Monday with the club 10th in Isthmian South East, seven points off the play-offs, following a 3-1 defeat at Sevenoaks.

Hume, who holds a UEFA A Licence, revealed he would be taking charge in an interview with in-house podcast That Nuts & Bolts Thing.

“Well, because we don’t want to change too much, I’m going to take the reins initially,” said Hume, who completed his takeover of Ashford with business partner Dave Warr last summer.

“And when I say initially, that will be certainly till the end of this season with a plan going into the following season where we want to be the year after.

“I say this about everyone, every one of the businesses I’ve ever been involved in, I’ve never met a manager, a salesperson, a footballer, that comes in and says, ‘I’m not very good, I’m not very enthusiastic, I’ll turn up late, I won’t always be at training, I won’t do this and I won’t do that’.

“They only ever promise you the good things.

“So what I don’t want to do is bring in another manager that we’re not 100% sure is capable of winning these football leagues.

“I know a lot of the Ashford people won’t know me as a manager because I’ve been out of the game for some time in a management capacity.

“But I have managed and played at the levels we’re at. I’ve been successful at the levels we’re at.

“I’m generally successful when I’m managing people, as opposed to football, and I think that’s the most important ingredients in any team you’re managing.

“So I don’t want people to be fearful that I’m taking over and think that I’m inexperienced. I’ve managed hundreds and hundreds of games at this level and above.”

Hume’s first game in charge comes at home to Merstham this Saturday (3pm).

He held talks with several senior players after parting company with Kedwell and has called on them to deliver.

“We’ve got a lot of senior pros in our team,” added Hume.

“I’ve already spoken to three of them and I’d expect them to step up to the plate over the next six months, year, two years, however long they’re here, and behave like experienced pros both on and off the pitch to progress us forward.

“So, for me, management is about can we get people to do more than they’d ordinarily do in their general role, whether that’s in any of my businesses but certainly in my football team.

“If they want to do that for Ashford United, as opposed to the fact they’re getting paid to do it, or they’re doing it because they like the manager or they like the colour of our kit, then we’ll be a successful team.”

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