"I bought into the project and the club bought into me... the rest, as they say, is history" Lee Hobbs

THE sign of a successful football manager is one that leaves a club in a better place than what they found it. And as Lee Hobbs reflects on his seven and a half years at Plymouth Parkway, he departs with his head high, safe in the knowledge the club is in the best state it has ever been.

- STUART JAMES

Having replaced Kevin Hendy and Darren Stewart in January 2017, Hobbs already knew a bit about the club having served as assistant manager to Wayne Hillson. But the step up from assistant to main man was one he took in his stride as he set about realising the club’s vision of one day reaching the Southern League.

Now, having realised the dream with three promotions, numerous cup runs, many memorable afternoons and evenings at Bolitho Park – and a successful battle to avoid relegation in the most challenging of circumstances – Hobbs feels the time is right to walk away.

“I had been a number two for a couple of years and I had been thinking of one day having my own job,” Hobbs said when reflecting on the day he joined. “The opportunity for that came up after the club sacked the previous manager and I was actually quite late to the application process, probably one of the last to apply because I sat and thought it over. It isn’t just a case of taking a job, you have to make sure that everything fits – can you work around it? Is the club the right one for you? But because I had been at the club previously with Wayne Hillson, I understood the club and knew the people behind the scenes and I knew what it would take to take it to where it wanted to go.

“I bought into the project and the club bought into me, I got the job and the rest, as they say, is history. I joined them as a mid-table South West Peninsula League team and we went on to get out of that league, get out of the Western League, then get out of the Southern League Division One South to find ourselves at Step Three now, which is the highest level the club has ever played at. It’s been a rollercoaster of a ride, but I have loved every minute of it.”