Lee Hill steps down as manager to try to push Sporting Club Thamesmead forward as a club

SPORTING CLUB THAMESMEAD manager Lee Hill has stepped down but will still be heavily involved trying to take the club forward.

Hill’s final act as manager was to guide them to glory in the Hospitals Charity Senior Cup when his side defeated Phoenix Sports Reserves 3-0 at Park View Road on Friday night.


Lee Hill and Sam Taylor celebrate the clubs win over
Phoenix Sports Reserves in the Hospitals Charity
Senior Cup on Friday night.
Photo: Twitter

Right-back Elliot Johnson broke the stalemate early in the second half through a 40-yard cross, which sailed over James Boughtflower into the top far corner, before talisman Josh Patrick scored a brace to take his tally up to 49 goals for the season.

The club completed their 36-match campaign in 12^th place in the Southern Counties East Football League First Division table, having collected 45 points (14 wins, 3 draws and 19 defeats).

“The club and players were informed a couple of weeks ago but he will still be heavily involved with trying to take the club forward,” said a club statement.

“He will become joint-chairman with current chairman Sam Taylor and will also continue his role as secretary.

“The club would also like to publicly express its thanks to Brian Wickes, who was assistant manager and coach towards the end of the season for all his efforts and hard work whilst he was with us as he will be leaving the club, a decision he made earlier in the season with immediate effect and to Liam Kelly, assistant manager, who although will still be at the club next season in a committee role, we want to state on record our thanks to him for all his hard work during the season on and off the field.

“A new management team has been appointed and will be announced in due course.

“We would also like to thank our wonderful sponsors, committee members, players and back room staff who help to keep this great club going.

“As an ambitions club, we are always looking for more sponsors and we are inviting partners and serious investors to get on board to help take the club forward.”

Liam Kelly, the former Crockenhill manager, undertook press duties after Friday night’s cup final and reflected on the season.

“Overall, the league table doesn’t lie.  We had so much more potential this year. It’s a little bit disappointing where we finished but (the Cup win) was for the people that gave 100% every day for the club. We asked the boys to give 100% for those people.”

The club play their home games at Bayliss Avenue, the former home of Isthmian League club Thamesmead Town, who will be playing their second season at Dartford’s Princes Park Stadium when the new season gets underway again in August.

Expectations are always high on Sporting Club Thamesmead, who failed to deliver in the League this season.

“We haven’t paid any players this year, I’m not saying were going to pay players next year but we are concentrating on during the close season to improve the clubs chances on and off the field,” said Kelly.

“Whether it will be infrastructure, sponsorship, but the plan is to push on.  We arguably have one of the best stadiums in the league and one of the best pitches in the league to stagnate in 12^th place in the league, so we’re disappointed in that and we do want to push forward as a club and we’ve appointed the people to do it.

“We maybe need to organise ourselves a little bit better in terms of awarding the sponsors we do have and getting new sponsors next season.”

Interested parties should contact Sam Taylor sasfcsam@gmail.com and Lee Hill at lhsasfc@gmail.com.

Visit Sporting Club Thamesmead's website: www.pitchero.com/clubs/sportingclubthamesmeadfc