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James Collins is to leave his role as Herne Bay’s boss in a surprise move this summer.
The news was revealed by the Isthmian South East side, less than 24 hours before their season-ending trip to relegated Steyning Town Community on Saturday - which ended in a 4-0 loss.
He swiftly said he believed Herne Bay have the off-the-field infrastructure to be an Isthmian Premier club again and praised ex-Lordswood manager Barman, saying: “It’ll help me to have someone on the board that has been in my shoes and knows how it works.
“He reminds me of [manager-chairman] Kev Hake when I took the job at Chatham. He’s so driven and he wants to do good things.
“He loves his football and gives it 100 per cent.”
Despite starting at Bay with a 2-1 home loss to fellow strugglers Phoenix Sports, Collins helped the team to score 26 goals in their next 10 league fixtures - including a 9-1 home thumping against Lancing - to maintain the club’s Step 4 status before losing their last home league game of this campaign 3-0 to Deal on Easter Monday.
Chairman Barman said: “After a tumultuous start to the season, we found ourselves being drawn into a relegation battle. James was appointed with the remit to keep our club in the Isthmian South East League.
“We thank James wholeheartedly for doing just that and wish him nothing but the best for the future.”
“I was asked to do a job at Herne Bay and I have done so,” Collins, who counts Chatham, Faversham, Cray Valley and Bowers & Pitsea among his former clubs, added. “I’m thrilled to have delivered on those expectations.
“HBFC is a massive club with one of the best fan-bases I’ve ever had the privilege to be involved with and I wish them nothing but success going forward.”
Former Sevenoaks and Forest Hill Park boss Mark Dacey and ex-Bay midfielder Danny Lawrence, who will leave Canterbury City this summer as they return to playing in the city after a spell ground-sharing at Margate’s Hartsdown Park, have already been linked with the role.
