Jewson/Hellenic Swags focus on trying to stay up after hugely challenging summer

Rob Gregory admits his beloved Nailsea & Tickenham club would have closed for good by now had it not been for the “energy and commitment” of a manager appointed at the “eleventh hour.”

- Simon PARKINSON [e-mail]

The long-serving chairman and former Nailsea player oversaw a summer of turmoil and transition in the wake of their management team’s decision to seek football elsewhere following five successful seasons at the Fryth Way helm.

The North Somerset club, who finished last season an all-time high seventh in the Jewson Premier Division standings under the joint leadership of Nic Steadman and Jamie Smith, eventually turned to Dennis Perry, despite the seasoned coach having never managed in his own right.

Nailsea & Tickenham, floored 9-0 by Frome in a Somerset Premier Cup tie at Badgers Hill on Wednesday night, still seek a first win of their league campaign as they travel far to take on fellow strugglers Newquay tomorrow with just the single point pegged to the board.

Gregory, a Nailsea club stalwart for some 38 years, said: “I've so many mixed feelings. After three tremendous years in the Western League we knew before last season's end that our management team would be moving on, and I had no worries with that.

“Because of our step 5 status I'd expected we'd be inundated with applications. But that didn’t prove the case.

“We did interview 12 candidates and appeared almost there with two well-known faces around the Western League circuit looking at coming in as a pairing.

“Unfortunately, circumstances away from football meant neither could join us. So, having found ourselves trying to keep our players in the loop, we were suddenly faced with a mass exodus.”

The Fryth Way chief continued: “We heard that our old management team had joined Clevedon, and a good many of our players left with them while others went to other clubs.

“It was especially disappointing that some of the young lads we'd given big chances to also went elsewhere.