25/4/2008

Sport

BREAKING NEWS: Vines to take charge as Clement steps down

AFTER a season of upheaval, excitement and ultimately triumph, it's all change at Farnborough again.

Over the course of the season Boro have used more than 50 players, with so many comings and goings in the squad that supporters were talking about Cherrywood Road's 'revolving doors'.

As Boro closed in on the BGB Southern 1 South & West title, the side at last settled down, and the winning formula found by boss Andy Clement eventually led them to glory.

But this Friday, it was Clement's turn to exit stage left, announcing his decision to step down as manager at the end of the current campaign.

In keeping with this season's tradition Boro have acted quickly, and already secured the services of experienced non-league manager Francis Vines to take over in Clement's place.

Back in March Clement indicated to the board of directors that his business commitments would restrict the time needed to carry out his job as manager, particularly with Boro on the verge of winning promotion, which they achieved last Saturday.

Explaining his decision, Clement told the Mail: "The reason is purely commitment. To do the job at the next level you need to commit more time to it, and I can't do that.

"My work outside football will take up more time next year, and if you spread yourself too thin then there can be problems.

"I have to be able to justify doing it to myself, but with my work I can't do that, so that is why I have had to step aside. My job away from football is what pays my bills so that has to take priority."

It has been a marvelous season at Cherrywood Road this year, with Clement's brand of exciting, attacking football leading Boro to the league title, and he said that he had thoroughly enjoyed his time at the club.

"I do have mixed emotions about leaving," he said. "I would love to have stayed and taken the club as far as I can, but I have made my decision and I think it's the right one.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Farnborough. Simon [Hollis] does things in the right way, and all the backroom staff have been great. Most of all I will miss being around the players, because the spirit in the dressing room has been excellent all season and they are a great bunch.

"The fans have been fantastic as well, and I think we have given them what they wanted with some attacking football and lots of goals."

Clement added: "I have been successful here, and certainly not done my reputation any harm, but at the moment I don't have any plans to get straight back into football."

Simon Hollis takes over as chairman from the departing Tony Theo at the end of the season, and his close relationship with Clement was well documented as a key reason why the former Bisley boss came to Cherrywood Road to begin with.

Hollis was quick to pay tribute to Clement's achievements this year.
"Andy did a great job for me at Bisley last year, and when my involvement at Farnborough became clearer, I had no doubt he was the man to become the club's first manager," he said.

"It is a mark of the man that he had the honesty and integrity to sit down with me at an early stage and highlight his concerns for the future.

"His achievements can never be taken away from him and I am sure that I speak on behalf of all Farnborough supporters when I extend my heartfelt thanks for what he has achieved in such a short space of time."

Boro have certainly wasted no time in securing a replacement for Clement, with former Crawley Town and Basingstoke Town boss Vines taking charge from Monday May 12.

There can be little doubt about Vines' credentials for the job, as, after a prolific playing career at the likes of Carshalton Athletic, Sutton United, Kingstonian and Crawley, he took the reins at the Broadfield Stadium back in 2003.

He guided Crawley to the Conference, after winning an impressive eight trophies in three seasons, including a Southern League treble in 2004 that would certainly go down well at Cherrywood Road next season.

Vines said he was excited to be taking over what he sees as a club on the up.

"I'm really looking forward to starting work to be honest," he said. "Normally when you take over at a club it comes after a relegation and the club is in a shambles.

"But what Andy Clement has done this year is excellent and I have a tough act to follow there. The club is in a good position already, which gives me a bit of a head start.

"I am only here because Andy wants to leave, and I am lucky to get the chance to come in. I think any non-league manager would jump at the chance to come here.

"I feel that I am inheriting a good young squad that already has good experience after winning the league this year.

"I have been watching the team in the last few weeks, and have seen the best and worst of them. But I don't think they are far away from competing at the next level at all."

Vines said he is a man determined to succeed at whatever he does, and was happy that he would be taking on a side with a winning mentality.

"They know what it takes to win a league, which is a good start," he said. "Personally, no matter who I am playing against, I am desperate to win games.

"I really mean that. If we were playing Manchester United, I would go into the game trying to win it, and that is how I want the players to think as well."

This season Vines was in charge at Basingstoke Town and he had taken his side into a play-off place at Christmas. But financial restraints saw cut-backs that eventually led to Vines tendering his resignation before the end of the campaign.

At Boro this season, they have invested in the team as the season progressed, which ultimately pushed them on to become champions, and Vines said that he was looking forward to that sort of financial backing for next year.

"At Basingstoke things were going well, and in terms of the football things continued to go well, but the financial problems didn't help," he said.

"When I saw managers signing players this season I was envious of that, and if you want to win things then you have to be able to get players when you need them.

"I think I am coming into to that at Boro, but there is a structure in place. If we come to December time, and I think we need to freshen things up, then we can do that.

"There isn't a bottomless pit, and promotion certainly won't be achieved at any cost, but there will be some new faces coming in over the summer, and during the season if we need that."

Speculation has been rife among supporters that a number of former players, who left Farnborough Town in the summer of 2007 to join Vines at the Camrose, could be on the way back to the new club.

Former favourites like Michael Charles and Steve Laidler have been seen watching in the Cherrywood Road stands at points this year, but Vines remained tight-lipped about their availability in the summer.

"I can't comment on that sort of thing, and those players are contacted to Basingstoke Town," he said. "But, at the end of the season everyone is up for grabs.

"What I will say is that all those players who have won the league here this season don't deserve to be kicked out of the door straight away.

"That would be unfair on them, and if I'm truthful I would like them all to stay. Some players will probably end up moving on, and players will come in. Whether they be new players or players from the old club, we will see.

"I have a few irons in the fire, but those players that have achieved good things this season, I want them to do that again next season."

Looking ahead to next season, Boro are likely to be playing their football in the BGB Southern Premier, which is a league that Vines won in his time at Crawley

Having already had a decent look at the players currently at his disposal, he felt that Boro are not far off being challengers in the league above.

"I have won that league before, so I know what it takes," he said. "I have looked at what we have, and I have been looking at the Southern Premier teams in recent weeks as well.

"I think there will be five strong teams in that league next year, and we can be one of them, the basis is there.

"This team is not far off at all. But at times this year Boro have won games playing at 50%. That won't happen in the league above.

"We have to win games. There are places like Taunton in the league above, and instead of losing that we have to go there and win it 1-0, not lose.

"It doesn't matter how we win games, we have to win it. We need the passion to win it, and if we do that then we will go close because it's all there for us. I want to put together a side that is ready to challenge from day one."

Clement's final game in charge will ironically be against Vines' old club Basingstoke, in the Hampshire Senior Cup final on May 10.

"In a way I have a foot in both camps, because Farnborough is my new team, and at Basingstoke there are a lot of my boys," he said.

"After watching Boro, if the boys play like they did against Windsor last week they will get beat.

"Basingstoke are two divisions higher, and they are good players, with that little bit of nastiness and competitiveness as well.

"But if the boys play like they did against Eastleigh here in the cup, then they can certainly win it."

Hollis was clearly delighted to find such a well-qualified replacement for Clement to take charge.

He said: "He is a local man with a wealth of Non-League experience.

"As a manager he has operated at Conference National, Conference South and more importantly Southern League Premier Level, having won the latter during his time at Crawley.

"We were delighted when he agreed to become our manager for next season."

Kick off at Bournemouth's Fitness First Stadium for the Hants Cup Final is at 3pm on May 10.

First printed in: Farnborough News and Mail