I've done my job and more so I leave Herne Bay with my head held high, says Simon Halsey

AXED Simon Halsey insists he leaves Herne Bay with his head held high.



Chairman Trevor Kennett parted company with the man that guided the club out of the Kent League only last summer, following the club’s 3-1 home defeat to Corinthian-Casuals last night.

The Bay are playing in their inaugural campaign in the Ryman League Division One South and are sitting in fifteenth-place in the table, having collected 10 wins and 13 draws from 39 games.

Goalkeeper coach and trophy winning ladies’ manager Anthony Deer takes temporary charge for the club’s last three league games, starting with a home game against leaders Dulwich Hamlet tomorrow.

“Trevor the chairman pulled me in after we lost to Corinthian-Casuals and said my time was up,” said Halsey.

“That was after a meeting two weeks ago when he assured me that everything was getting in place for next season and the budget was coming to me for next season.

But to part company with a successful manager as Halsey has come as a shock.

Halsey said: “Like someone said to me, you’re not a proper manager until you’ve been sacked, so I take the positives out of it that I’m a proper manager now!

“I’ve got nothing but holding my head up high.  I done exactly what they’ve asked me to do and more – got them out of the Kent League, won them x-amount of cups, got them to x-amount of semi-finals, not just the FA Vase, the Kent Senior Trophy and (league) runners up twice in a very short period.

“I done my job and more so I walk away with my head held high!”

Halsey questioned the timing of his dismissal and felt the club could have waited until the end of the season.

“It is a harsh world of football,” said Halsey.  “It’s not really a shock.  I’ve been under a bit of pressure since 6^th February when we played Faversham with eighteen games left still to play.

“If I’m honest with you since then I felt that time could come at any time just through what was spoken about in a couple of meetings. It wasn’t a shock to be honest.”

Halsey is now looking forward to a new chapter in his footballing career.

“Simon Halsey now shuts the door,” he said. 

“Some of my players will verify that I’m a firm believer in that you’ve got absolutely nothing to do with the past, but you can have a say in the future.  The door was shut straight away last night, that’s forgotten about and he dusts himself off and moves on and we’ll see what happens.

“I’m married to the game so I won’t be out of it for long. Wherever it will be, I don’t know, but it will be somewhere that’s for sure and I’m just raring to get back into it as soon as possible.”

Halsey insists his former players at the club will be as professional as they can be – starting with tomorrow’s home game against title chasing Dulwich Hamlet.

Gavin Rose’s side are three points clear of Maidstone United with only three games left to play and Stones boss Jay Saunders would like Herne Bay to do their Kent rivals a big favour by winning the game.

“The players have taken it very badly really.  A lot of them I would class as my players because I took them there and we’ve been together a long time and they’re absolutely fuming with the way it’s been dealt with,” said Halsey.

“The promises I had two weeks ago and now I’ve been led up the garden path really. They’ll be professional in finishing the season off and doing what they’ve got to do and after that, that’s down to them.

Reflecting on his last game in charge of the club, Halsey said: “It was a very strange situation to do it last night.  There were a couple of things that happened before the game when people questioned my team selection.

“After playing Saturday, Tuesday and last night and having the league leaders at our place on Saturday, their philosophy was I should have won the easy game last night and then just take a hit on Saturday.

“But as I’ve said to them I’ve got a duty to Dulwich Hamlet and Jay (Saunders) at Maidstone to field the strongest possible side as I could on Saturday, which could be a title deciding game.

“That was my philosophy on it and I still stand by what I done.

“The club wanted some certain local players playing last night so that’s what I’ve done.”

Visit Herne Bay’s website: www.hernebayfc.net

Herne Bay  v  Dulwich Hamlet
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 20^th April 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Winch’s Field, Stanley Gardens, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 5SG