Essex Chronicle

[ronin]

EDWARDS FACES SACK

 

By David Ward

 

18:00 - 13 April 2006

Chelmsford City look to set to sack current manager Craig Edwards at the end of the season and bring in a new boss - with Canvey Island's Jeff King strongly tipped to take over, it can be revealed today (Thursday).

 

It is understood that informal talks with the Nationwide Conference manager have already been held by City officials, and also with one other interested party, but no decision will be made until the end of the season. King, who as manager and chairman has taken the Islanders to within one step of the Football League, has become increasingly disillusioned with the lack of support on the terraces for all their success, which has included several notable FA Cup runs, FA Trophy victories and successive promotions through the non-league pyramid.

 

City clearly has the greater potential, now playing back home at Melbourne Stadium with gates of 1,500-plus, while the Islanders, despite all their on-field success, rarely attract more than a few hundred to their home games.

 

The official City view on the managerial situation was confirmed yesterday by senior director and former chairman Peter Stroud who said: "We are in discussions with other parties in looking for the longer term future of the club both on and off the field. Jeff King is one of those we have spoken to, and there are others, but nothing will be decided until the end of the season."

 

"The board have said all along that once we were back in Chelmsford, with our own ground and clubhouse facilities, we would seriously look to develop the club with the aim of graduating on the field which, in turn, will generate the income needed to sustain the club at a higher level.

 

"As part of this we are looking to bring in the expertise we need, both on and off the field, with the football know-how to get the club into the Nationwide Conference in the next three, four or so years it may take, and at the same time bring in some financial support to help achieve all this," he said.

 

"It's still a members' club so to that degree the club's future is assured, but some of the directors have been putting in their own money to help us to get us to this stage, and that's commonly known by supporters," he said.

 

"But the new clubhouse has to be the real profit centre for the club to build on and we are sure that once moving further forward we can generate home crowds of 1,500-plus every week too."

 

Current City boss Edwards is bitterly disappointed at the present uncertainty over his and his players' future at the club.

 

Edwards said: "I know there is no smoke without fire. I am bitterly disappointed that I have found out from supporters about what's going on and that no official at the club has spoken to me about the situation now or about the future," he said.

 

"It's causing problems with the current players because they have heard all the rumours too and are naturally worried about what will happen to them, so their morale is pretty low.

 

"I repeatedly told the board, and they agreed too, that this season would be one of consolidation in the premier division and one in which to build a side to make a promotion push next season.

 

"The players I have signed, such as Dean Palmer and Paul Linger amongst others, are all an integral part of this team building and I believe we are on the right path and now have the nucleus of a promotion-winning side for next season," he added.

 

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[South Mouth]

Now that is something official. Fair enough. Didn't need to be stirred up by others.

 

We're all getting used to the idea of running the club under the supporters trust now that this is just someone elses news now. I feel that Jeff wants to be successful and make money and he cant do that anymore at Canvey. Especially the making money part. If he goes, then we will just deal with it and take the club in the direction that it deserves. We may be stuck right now but we will be back fighting one day to where Chelmsford or Grays are right now. Then we can look at these other teams who want to use money and wealth for their gain and laugh in their faces.

 

Come on Canvey!

[Eastside Urchin]

i would like to know where these 1500+ gates that chelsmford get are,i know in the first game it was 3'000 plus which is not unusual for a new stadium but in recent weeks it has gone down to barely over 6-700 which is quite a drop,not having a dig at chelmsford but i think they are making it sound as if they are a bigger club than they really are,if they were in conference i am not sure they would attract more than a thousand unless they were doing well

[South Mouth]

Exactly. But money and greed is doing the talking over there.