Started from the Bottom, now I'm here!

Started from the bottom, now I'm here

Ever since I could remember, I always wanted to make it in Football.

That never happened though. A repeatedly strained back from all the goals I'd conceded put that idea to bed. At 32 and struggling to pay the bills, my ambitions turned to football coaching and who knows, management (I go light headed at the thought).

Since the age of 18, I'd been swearing to my ex-wifes (Sandra being the last) and girlfriends that was where the money was going to come from. That, like my footballing career, never came around. That was until now. The passing of my late father FINALLY gave me the money to pursue my goals (and not the ones I'd been so used to letting in). I'd managed to get my badges up until the National A license and I'd been working as the Player-Manager of my local side Royston Town.

A few good years at Royston Town had brought around quite the name for myself in the lower leagues. I knew it was my time to progress through the leagues and make it as a coach in the Professional game...I'd show Sandra!

I decided that the time was right for me to hang up my gloves and boots like so many had hoped I'd do for years. I mean I was 35 now and my time had come to hand over the reigns to a younger and much better prospect. The time was right to take my high-tempo, counter-pressing football to a new level! Where this level was, I didn't know but I did know that I was determined to realise my pipe-dreams.

I'd started from the bottom (kind of) and I was going to get there, somewhere, anywhere! I immediately resigned from my position at Royston Town and I headed to the LMA jobs board....my determination would drive me to a new role.

I knew a chairman at one club would finally decide that I was a true keeper!

Moving on up

Leaving Royston Town at the end of the previous season had been a tough choice. The club wasn’t just close to my heart due to it being my first managerial appointment. It was close to my heart due to playing there for a number of years and not to mention my late father had played for them too. The time was right though - a new challenge was needed.

The LMA jobs board was a very quiet place at this time of season. I wasn’t sure whether this was down to the fact it hadn’t been updated since what looked like the early 2000s, or whether it was down to the fact I’d not been there previously. One thing for sure – I wasn’t aiming to hang around on it for long!

Thankfully, as the summer rolled on and pre-season came nearer; several managerial casualties started cropping up. Normally something I didn’t like to see turned into a game of Road Hog or Road Angel. You know the game, the one where you say yes or no as you drive past a female driven car on the motorway as to whether you would or not. Only this time it wasn’t hogs or angels I was judging. This time it was clubs and whether I wanted the position.

The first one to come up was Weston-super-Mare. This was a hog right away. Predicted to finish 21st in the Conference South. They seemed like too much of a challenge for me, not too mention the many school holidays spent there. Luckily for me, they took on Ryan Northmore in a Caretaker role. A bullet dodged!

Then the job I was looking for came up…had I found my Road Angel that I could drive off into my fledgling management career?

FORMER Royston Town boss Jason Pallett has been named the new manager of Conference South side, Sutton United.

Pallett has been out of work since leaving the Crows in May 2014. He had led the club from the Spartan South Midlands First Division to the Evo-Stick Southern League Division One Central in his time there.

He replaces Paul Doswell as manager at Royston Town as the former boss stepped down after 6 years at the helm.

Pallett, who is undecided on which staff he wishes to bring in to help out, said: “I’m pleased to be back in football. I’m still looking at whom to bring in to support me in my backroom, but the current staff will be given their chance.

“I felt the time was now right for me to get back into football and I’m looking forward to the challenge. Over the next few weeks I will evaluate the players and staff. I’m looking forward to progressing this football club.”

Chairman Bruce Elliott added: “Jason is delighted with the appointment which he helped to instigate. Jason has a wealth of non-league experience having played for and managed Royston Town. He previously spent many years at Royston as a player and as their manager helping them to a series of promotions."

Royston Town Chairman, Steve Jackson, sent his well wishes in a parting statement, “Jason has done a magnificent job during a very difficult period for the club and I want to put on record my gratitude for his loyalty and professionalism while he has carried out the dual roles of player, manager and head coach."

http://www.swlondoner.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Micky-Stephens-resized.jpg

Sutton United have today parted company with no less than 5 backroom staff, including club legend, Micky Stephens (Pictured above).

It had originally been rumoured that new manager, Pallett, would like to bring in his own support team. It comes as no surprise that a clear out has occurred, with a new team expected to be appointed in the coming weeks. Initial rumours are that fitness coach, Kunle Odetoyinbo and goalkeeping coach, Laurence Batty are 2 of the incoming staff.

Odetoyinbo, formely of Bristol City, Wolves and Reading, has refused to comment on these rumours.

Laurence Batty, a former football league shot stopper, has been out of work since being released by Norwich City in 2011. Batty, 50, is known to have worked on the same coaching courses as Pallett, so it is easy to put the 2 together.

With just 12 days to go, Pallett’s promotion pushers kick off pre-season with a tough home friendly to Barclays Premiership, Stoke City. Tickets can be purchased on the day from the main ticket office priced at £12.

The U’s other pre-season fixtures are as follows; Staines (a), Salisbury (h), Kingstonian (a), Dulwich Hamlet (a) and a Reading XI (h).

Sutton United, fondly known as the Us’, were founded in 1989.

The clubs current home ground is known as Gander Green Lane, with a capacity of 5,013 (765 seats). The clubs home kit consists of yellow shirts, yellow shorts and yellow socks. The away kit being all white:

Sutton United originally joint local leagues, but after some early success finally joined the Isthmian leagues in 1964. This is where they remained until they finally made their first venture into the top tier of Non-league football, in 1986.

The U’s spent 5 years in the Conference before returning to the Isthmain league in 1991. They made a 1 season return to the Conference in 1999, but were relegated that same season. In 2004, Sutton were one of the founding members of the Conference South where they have remained since.

The club is famously remembered for its exploits in the FA Cup where they once beat Coventry City, then of the Old First Division, 2-1 in the Third Round in 1989. This remained a 24 year record before it was recently beaten by Luton town in 2013. This win over Coventry City remains the last time a Semi-pro team beat a team from the top flight of English football.

The U’s hold fierce rivalries with AFC Wimbledon, Carshalton Athletic, Kingstonian, Woking and Tooting & Mitcham.

Best of luck at Sutton!

Thanks @Jer!

I'm looking forward to the challenge. It's my first story too, so could be eventful

After finally finding a job that I was happy with, I took to the training ground for the first time. This was a daunting task, bearing in mind I had just let the previous backroom team go.

Luckily outgoing manager, Paul Doswell, left me an overview of the current playing staff. As you can see, a few positions would need a little bit of work to get us up to speed for the new season:

http://s2.postimg.org/ovccghqyx/Screen_Shot_2015_08_18_at_07_23_10.png

Notably, the first position in need of a makeover was our Goalkeeper. Now I know a thing or 2 about ‘keeping, playing there my entire career, but ideally a new starting keeper would be needed. Howe offers a good solid ground for this league, but if I could budget for a new goalie, I would.

In defence, a very solid and capable Shaun Cooper would marshal our back four. He’s primarily an Anchor Man, but I feel this ability on the ball could help us play out from the back…but tactics are another matter. Defence is another position where I felt the team could really do with a bit of fine-tuning. A solid foundation was integral to the style of play I insisted upon my teams.

Going onto midfield, I was reasonably happy with the array of talent we possessed. Some players experienced at this level in Bedsente Gomis, Jamie Collins, Ricky Wellard and Glen Southam filled our central births. While out on the wings, we have a good mix of older campaigners in Dale Binns and Damian Scannell (brother of Sean Scannell, the former Crystal Palace and current Hudderfield Town player). This is mixed with the younger Shaquille Hippolyte-Patrick and Dan Wishart, both chomping at the bit to cut their teeth in the first team. Exactly the type of player I’d be looking to bring into the side in the long run.

Finally, our strike force (in my opinion) was one of our stronger positions. The ever-green Craig Dundas would support the more prolific, Dan Fitchett and Jamie White. Both Fitchett and White knowing exactly how to hit the onion bag.

With a few small additions, I felt this squad was more than capable of the Play-off/Promotion push that I expected of it. A few near misses in previous seasons were going to become a distant memory as the future was going to be now!

The first training session was over, I had already started formulating an idea of who was and wasn’t in my plans for the coming season. Now it was time to meet the journalists for my first media outing as Sutton United boss.

This reminds me of my own writing, which in turn is what I want to see in a FM Story.

Great stuff! Keep going.

Thanks for the words, I appreciate it @a_esbech

I want to write a story that matches the stories I enjoy reading. Makes it more enjoyable for me to write, and hopefully to read for everyone else. Hopefully the 'Shaq' will become a big player for me and not just a big name

Recently appointed Sutton United manager, Jason Pallett has wasted no time in getting stuck in with his new position and has already set about creating his vision for the future of the club.

Earlier this week, the Non-League Football Paper got a chance to sit down with Pallett to discuss his plans for the club and how he has settled in at Gander Green Lane.

It’s fair to say that with the last few years of near misses, Sutton United really are gunning for getting past that final hurdle. NLFP put this to Pallett and his response was reassuringly impressive, ‘This club is really geared at returning back to the top flight of the Non-league pyramid. This is thanks to the hard work and desire of the Chairman, Bruce Elliott, and the former manager, Paul Doswell.
“I’m very lucky to have acquired a talented bunch of lads. They really have got on with my philosophies and tactical views right away, exactly as I expected. Although it’s early, the players are showing exactly the work rate and desire that I demand from my teams. This will show in the style of football we’re going to play. I’m sure the fans will find it a joy to watch”

This desire, hard work and determination are exactly what was shown during Pallett’s time at Royston Town. The team often topped the miles run per game charts and played exciting counter-pressing football at the same time; a style of football rarely seen at this end of the pyramid.

We asked Pallett about his influences around this type of football, “When growing up, I often watched teams like Ajax and Wimbledon. A strange mix you may think, but Ajax played fluid, attacking football that destroyed teams. Then Wimbledon played this high energy, in your face, take no prisoners style.
Both of these styles were intriguing to me in different ways. I wanted my Royston Town team to use the ball well and play it around with freedom, but I wanted them to work twice as hard to win the ball back when they lost it. It’s a style that teams like Barcelona and Dortmund use now with great success.”

From Barcelona to Sutton, a strange jump but we understand the new managers thoughts. A high-energy formation allowing no room for passengers, or space for other teams to work in. A demanding style for a Semi-professional club but one Pallett has worked wonders with previously and in a familiar 4-4-2 formation, used by the club in the previous manager reign.

A final question we asked the energetic 35 year old was regarding new signings. “You should expect some small movements into the club. I want players that buy into what we’re trying to do at this club. This is going to be an exciting time to be a U’s fan”, Pallett said, before adding (with a wry smile on his face), “We’ll certainly be getting fans to ‘Sutton’ the edge of their seats and cheer on the boys!”

Sutton United kick off their league campaign away to newly relegated Dartford. It’s set to be a fantastic curtain raiser for the league season. Kick off is at 15:00 on the 9th of August.

Sutton United are happy to announce the arrival of 5 new backroom staff. These 5 appointments will complete the clubs new look match day staff.

The appointments started with the arrival of the recently rumoured Kunle Odetoyinbo and Laurence Batty. They join the side as the First team Fitness Coach and Goalkeeping Coach respectively.

Also arriving to Gander Green Lane are the appointments of a new Head Physio in Damien Delahunty and the clubs new Chief Scout, Paul Montgomery.

The final appointment appears to be the key appointment for Jason Pallett as it sees a new number 2 in Dennis Booth.

Booth, formerly Assistant Manager at Carlisle United, is delighted at the prospect of working alongside Pallett, “Of course I’m looking forward to getting involved with the day to day management of a football club again. I had considered retirement but the opportunity to work alongside a young and talented manager was too much of a draw.”

whats up do u need anything

I'd just appreciate thoughts on how it's looking so far really and ways that you think it could be improved for future updates. It's my first story so learning the ropes a little Thanks!

Really like your way of writing. Good luck and hopefully you can stick with Sutton and bring them to the Champions League! Or at least somewhere near the top