Holmesdale re-appoint Lee Roots as their new manager: I leave Forest Hill Park in a much better place than when I found it

HOLMESDALE have re-appointed Lee Roots as their new manager following a season managing their Southern Counties East Football League First Division rivals Forest Hill Park.

Roots announced his departure from Forest Hill Park on 22 April 2019, but stayed on for yesterday’s 4-0 home win over FC Elmstead, which saw the club finish in seventh-place in the table with 52 points on the board from their 34 league games.

Roots was in charge of the Ladywell Arena outfit for 39 games in all competitions, winning 17 of them.

“I can announce I have resigned my position as first team football manager of Forest Hill Park FC,” said Roots.

“When coming into the club and accepting the position as manager just two weeks before the start of pre-season, it was a complete re-build job on and off the pitch that would need to be undertaken as no remaining players were retained at all for the forthcoming season.

“We set up a complete new structure for the club to move forward towards, steered and instrumented by myself and the chairman.  This allowed me and my management team of Peter Nolan and Adam Porter, who have been absolutely superb this season and whom I could not do my job without, allowed us to attract and build a fantastic squad and group of players.

“I’m fortunate to have very strong relationships with my players, who all followed me along to the new project at Forest Hill Park.

“We are extremely proud of the work that has been achieved this year. We have set all new records for the club ever at this level; all the way down from highest points totals, highest league finish; most league wins; least goals conceded; least amount of losses and cup semi-finals, the lot!

“It’s been a record breaking season and all the players really do deserve full credit for what they’ve achieved and where they have taken the club too,

“I’m pretty sure no one would have given us a chance of finishing in the top 10, let alone competing within the top seven, before the season begun!

“We have a zero budget and possibly the least plush facilities in the league, so I’m delighted that it’s the football, coaching and managing work only that really has done all our talking this year.”

Roots returns to Bromley based club Holmesdale, whom finished a place and a point above Forest Hill Park in the pecking order.

Andy Constable, who scored 16 goals for the Dale, finished the season as sole manager, taking charge of nine games, which culminated in a 2-1 win over Greenways at Oakley Road yesterday afternoon.  Constable suffered eight defeats whilst in charge on his own.

Before that, however, Constable and Keith Levett were in joint-charge for seven games, winning three of them.

“It’s time for me to move onto the next chapter in my management career and I will certainly hold the work this season at Forest Hill Park very close to me,” added Roots.

“I leave the club in a much better place than when I found it. The club is now well established and respected within the league on the pitch and I’d like to wish the club everyone involved all the very best for the future.”

Roots originally replaced Ian Varley at Holmesdale and guided the club to a top eight finish during season 2017-18, winning 15 of his 31 games in charge.

Roots, a former Holmesdale player, said it’s the “start of a new chapter,” having been re-appointed the club’s new manager this evening.