FORMER long-serving Leighton Town manager Sean Downey has spoken out in an attempt to clear up the circumstances that saw him step down after four years at the helm back in November.
After a poor start to the season that saw Leighton flirting with the Evo-Stick League Division One Central relegation places, Downey announced that he had taken charge of the side for the last time and would be ‘moving upstairs’ to take on a new role as director of football.
After some uncertainty, Craig Wells was appointed as Downey’s successor, with Richard Batten his assistant, and the challenge of turning around the team’s fortunes began.
And now that Wells has started to turn the corner, with Leighton slowly but surely edging away from danger near the foot of the table, Downey has decided that the time is right to clear up why he decided to step down as boss, insisting it was 100 per cent his decision, and not a result of the club’s lowly league position.
“Firstly it was my decision to step down as first team manager and my decision only,” he said.
“I was not under pressure from anyone else and certainly not the chairman who has been nothing but supportive, as have the overwhelming majority of supporters.
“There is no big story here, just people in difficult circumstances making honest decisions in the best interests of our beloved club.
“The reasons for my decision were straight forward and were based on what I believed would offer the club the best chance of moving forward both in the short and longer term.
“Due to changes in my personal circumstances I found it difficult to commit the necessary time and energy to the preparation of the team and the management of players that I have in the past.
“Such attention to detail in these important areas enabled us in recent seasons to compete in the top part of our league with a budget that was, and remains, amongst the very smallest in the league.
“I’m a hands on manager and when it became impossible for me to be so, the obvious course of action was to step aside and allow someone else with the necessary skills, knowledge, ambition and time to take the reins.”
Under Downey’s management, Town twice went close to making the Division One Central play-offs and in doing so was considered to have over achieved in the job up against clubs with far bigger fan bases and budgets.
But the club’s aims this season have always been more modest as Downey has fought – sometimes unsuccessfully – to keep hold of Town’s best players, with striker James Hatch’s recent departure to Bedford Town, about the time same that Downey announced he was stepping down, generally considered by fans to be the most significant loss.
But Downey insists his decision was a long time in coming, and he has the utmost faith in Wells and Batten to continue his good work.
He said: “In Craig and Richard I felt we had the personnel within the club who had the potential to do what I have done, which is to work hard with players, develop them individually, and to mould them into a unit that collectively is more than the sum of the parts.
“What they need is time and support from everyone. They are excellent, well qualified coaches and both are fully aware that the challenges they face are tough.
“However, the early signs are good and vindicate my decision to recommend their appointment.
“The players have responded very well to their enthusiasm and professionalism – just as I knew they would. Craig and I have a huge respect for each other and he knows I’ll always be there to consult with as necessary.
“He is, however, very much his own man – an important quality for anyone wanting to manage successfully at this level, and one of the many reasons why we wanted to give him his chance.”
But Downey admits the next few months will prove a baptism of fire for Wells as he battles to keep Town in Division One, and admitted that the loss of Hatch midway through the season was an expected, and huge blow.
“This has been, and will continue to be, a difficult season for the club as we work hard to restructure and rebuild both on and off the field,” he said.
“Our performances this season have deserved more points than we have amassed, but the players have continued to work hard and they have reaped their rewards in recent games.
“It was a huge blow to lose James Hatch, but he has moved on to play at a higher level and for significantly more money than we can pay him.
“This is simply the economics of football and he has gone with our very best wishes and thanks, as have all the many players we have produced in recent years who are plying their trade at a higher level.
“I really can’t think of another club at this level that has been as successful as Leighton has in unearthing and developing young talent. We take great pride in this but would love in the future, for the club to be in a position where we would be able to keep this talent, rather than develop it for others to profit from.”
Having taken a backseat from the management side of football for the last few weeks, Downey has had plenty of time to reflect on his decision to step down as boss. And while he says it was with a heavy heart that he did what he did, he also believes it was the right move at the right time for all involved at Bell Close.
Downey said: “Stepping down from my post as first team manager was a hard thing for me to do – but I think it was the right decision at the right time.
“It would have been a nightmare for Craig to take over in the summer with all the change and uncertainty surrounding the club. It has taken all my experience to hold onto a number of our best players and gradually bring in the right players to replace the ones that we have lost.
“We have no “cheque book” as many clubs in our league have and that’s why it takes time to rebuild. Recent results suggest that we are making good progress, but there is still much to do and this process of rebuilding the team will continue to be a key part of my new role as director of football.
“It has been a real honour to manage my ‘adopted home town’ club and I have loved every minute of it. I’ll miss many aspects of the role, but nothing more acutely than the hands on work with players and the personal satisfaction that is to be gained from the club consistently punching above its weight on the field as we have for a number of years.”
And Downey was keen to pay tribute to the people who helped to make his reign at Bell Close so successful, not least former Leighton chairman Iain McGregor who also recently brought his time at the club to an end.
He said: “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the players, coaches, hard working committee members and supporters who helped to make my time as manager a very positive experience.
“I must also give a special mention to the two chairmen I served under, Iain McGregor and Richard Graham – both who have been incredibly supportive and who, in their very different ways, have the very best interests of our club at heart.
“We move into the new year in a positive frame of mind. I wish all our supporters and readers a happy new year, and urge anyone who thinks they can support the club in any way to contact us on 01525 373311.”