Erith & Belvedere appoint Gary Alexander as interim manager until the end of the season and remains fully committed to achieve club's objectives for the remainder of the season

ERITH & BELVEDERE chairman Paul Springett has appointed the club’s director of football, Gary Alexander, as interim manager until the end of the season.

 

The club mutually agreed to relieve Sam Groombridge of his role as manager on Monday morning, after only 25 games in charge of the Park View Road club.

Alexander, 46, will be supported by the club’s existing coaching staff, including Craig Boyle, Peter Springett and recent addition, Grant Basey.

“With 12 games remaining, the club looks forward to the challenge ahead and remains fully committed to working hard both on and off the pitch to achieve its objectives for the remainder of the season,” said a club statement.

Alexander, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the club, following a distinguished 20-year professional playing career, including scoring THAT goal at Wembley for his beloved Millwall.

Alexander has previously managed Crawley Town, Greenwich Borough, Ashford United, Glebe and Cray Wanderers.

He guided Greenwich Borough to the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division title in 2016 and to the Isthmian League South East Division Play-Off Semi-Final the following season.

Basey, 37, meanwhile, has previously managed Cray Wanderers and VCD Athletic.

Erith & Belvedere – who travel to Ashford-based Kennington on Saturday – are presently sitting in tenth-place in the ninth-tier Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table, having collected 32 points (nine wins, five draws and 10 defeats) and are six points adrift of the play-offs with three months of the season remaining.

The Deres have been managed by Billy Hamlin/Jamie Phipps, Groombridge and now Alexander this season, with Groombridge stating earlier on in the campaign that the club were chasing a top-five finish this season.

Visit Erith & Belvedere’s website:   www.thederesfc.co.uk