Croydon chief has high hopes for Leworthy

CROYDON chairman Dickson Gill believes new boss David Leworthy will be the man to guide the club back to the Ryman League, writes Stephen McCartney.

Leworthy needs no introduction to fans in this part of the world, becoming a fans’ favourite at Dover Athletic following his £50,000 transfer fee that brought him to Crabble back in 1993.

Having played for Tottenham Hotspur and Oxford United in the 1980s, Leworthy moved to non-league football via Reading, joining Farnborough Town and then to Conference club Dover Athletic.

The goal-machine then moved to Rushden & Diamonds, Kingstonian, with whom he won the FA Trophy in 2000, and Havant & Waterlooville.

Previous managing stints have been with Havant & Waterlooville, Croydon Athletic (where he was assistant manager) and he arrives at the Kent League club via Combined Counties League outfit Banstead Athletic.

Leworthy resigned as Banstead Athletic’s manager on Thursday, 23^rd October, citing “personal reasons” behind his reasons for leaving Merland Rise. The club were sitting in fourth place in the Combined Counties League at the time.

Leworthy was officially appointed Croydon’s new manager on Monday, 3^rd November, a day before Mr Gill was rushed into hospital following his fall on VCD Athletic’s pitch perimeter before the Kent League match.

The game, however, was abandoned due to a floodlight failure with 16 minutes remaining, with VCD Athletic leading 2-0 at the time. The kick-off was delayed for thirty minutes whilst Mr Gill was taken to hospital.

Croydon were then defeated 3-2 by Herne Bay at Winch’s Field, but won their first game under Leworthy’s reign, a 3-0 win over Mile Oak in the FA Vase last weekend.

Although the Trams are sitting fourth from bottom in the Kent League table (four wins and a draw from 10 games), Gill believes Leworthy will be successful long term.

“We appointed him the night before the VCD Game. He’s been coming to our last three games before that,” Mr Gill explained when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk tonight.

“He didn’t really tell me the reasons why he (left Banstead Athletic) - he just applied for the job. I had quite a few applicants.

“I knew David Leworthy’s past, Kingstonian and the other clubs that he’s been in non-league, and his assistant, Peter Thomas.

“I phoned him up and had a chat with him and liked what he said. The longer we talked the better it got and then I appointed him on the Monday night.”

Mr Gill reveals the “whole club is buzzing” following the star’s appointment.

“He’s absolutely brilliant and the whole club is buzzing,” he said. “He’s going to bring in a few new players because we’ve lost a few when Thommo (Mark Tompkins) left so we’ve got to strengthen again.

“He’s doing things the way we like to do it. He’s brought a lot of professionalism to the club.

“He’s (hopefully going) to take us into the Ryman eventually and get us up. If he moves on, he’ll move on. I hope he likes us, continue to do the good work with us.”

Croydon are 19 points adrift of leaders Holmesdale so any promotion talk this season might have to be put on hold.

“So far he’s done good,” praised Mr Gill. “The whole club has lightened up since he’s been here.

“We’ve got four youth teamers playing first team football now. We’re looking to build the club up for the future.”

Mr Gill would like to publicly thank the Kentish Football family for their best wishes following his period of ill-health.

He said: “Thank you to the people who have phoned up my family when I was in hospital. I came out last Saturday but I’m still not mobile yet.

“I went to a game on Saturday, our FA Vase game, I shouldn’t have gone really, but I paid the cost because it made me really ill again next day.

“I had to go to hospital again yesterday for a check up and they said I had to have another scan next week.

“The problem I’ve got at the moment is the nerve system in the neck, which is affecting both my arms and I can’t use any of my hands at the moment. It’s very sensitive. My left hand is getting better but I can’t use my right arm.

“I’d like to thank everyone, especially in the Kent League and in local football, because my wife’s been on the phone a lot.”

Mr Gill - a qualified coach - will give Leworthy all the support he needs.

“I’m just the chairman as far as I’m concerned, I’ll give him all the support he needs. If he’s not there or unavailable for any reason, I’ll help out.”

Visit Croydon’s website: www.croydon-fc.co.uk

Visit Hythe Town’s website: www.hythetownfc.co.uk

Croydon v Hythe Town
Bulmers Cider Kent League
Saturday 22^nd November 2008
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Croydon Sports Arena, Albert Road, South Norwood, London SE25 4QL