Miles relishes new role - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Monday 05th June 2006

After spending five years as joint-manager of Slade Green, Phil Miles admits he’s facing “an interesting challenge” as the newly appointed head coach at their Kent League rivals Greenwich Borough, writes Stephen McCartney.

Miles and Terry Malin left Slade Green at the end of April as they felt they had taken the Small Glen club “as far as they could.”

Miles has been drafted into the resurgent Harrow Meadow club with former Sevenoaks Town manager Gary Davies returning to the club as assistant manager to manager Chris Cosgrove, whose also director of football.

In an EXCLUSIVE interview with www.kentishfootball.co.uk, Miles, who runs a Print Factory, explained why he’s decided to join the Eltham based club.

“To be perfectly honest I haven’t had too many offers,” he said. “I was approached to do a coaching role, which transpired into being a head coach role, which quite interested me.

After five years of chasing around unpaid players, Miles is relishing taking a back seat at his new club.

“To be fair the responsibility where you’re chasing players, ringing them up to make sure they’re at matches, goes,” he said.

“So I can just concentrate on the training, the tactical things of it. It’s a different role from what I’ve been used to do in the last five years.”

An influx of changes – on and off the pitch – helped Miles to opt for a move to their local neighbours.

“I would say they sold themselves very well. They want to go forward,” he said. “They ended the season very well and if you look back to this time last year when there was no-one at the club with any interest at all, Chris Cosgrove has moved Greenwich Borough forward the way he sees it.”

But Miles’ sole role is to coach players and leave enticing players to the club to Cosgrove and Davies.

“At the end of the day, if I’m asked to approach a player I will do but that’s not really my remit,” said Miles.

“My remit is to get players fit and prepared for a Saturday or a Tuesday night, which I will do.

“They (Cosgrove and Davies) obviously have their own contacts with people with a wealth of experience and they know a few players themselves.

“The added bonus is they will have a minimal wage bill to approach people, which we never had at Slade Green, but that’s for Gary and Chris to sort out – that’s not why I’m down here.”

Miles, though, is relishing his next challenge. “It will be an interesting challenge,” he said. “After five years at Slade Green, it’s hard work. It’s a great time to cut your teeth and move onto better things.

“The coaching role at Greenwich Borough will be interesting. I will give it 125% and to it to the best of my ability.

“Fresh ideas in a fresh place. I’m quite looking forward to the challenge.”

The club have been criticised in Kent League circles in past years for showing a lack of professionalism off the pitch, but this will change next season.

Miles said: "They’ve got plans to brighten up the place, have a youth academy and maybe the days of Greenwich Borough having an unprofessional stature that’s followed them for the last ten years will go.”