Craig Holloway stands down as Margate joint-manager with a heavy heart

MARGATE goalkeeper Craig Holloway has explained why he has decided to step down as joint-manager of the club yesterday.

Holloway, 29, issued a statement on the club’s official website www.margate-fc.com but confirmed that he will still play in goal for the club.

“It is with heavy heart and after a lot of soul searching that I have reached this decision,” said Holloway, who has also played for Arsenal, Farnborough, Southend United, Ebbsfleet United, Chelmsford City, Braintree Town, Bromley and Welling United.

 “I am about to embark on a change of career and feel this will affect my ability to carry out my duties to the level and standards that I have set myself.

“I will continue to play at Margate FC and I’m enjoying this role as much as ever and feel my performances reflect this.

“I am at the stage in my career where playing is at the forefront of my mind and I am certain that I will return to management in the future as it is a direction that I am sure I can excel at, but I need to be 100% in everything I strive to do and feel that with the added workload it will affect Margate FC, my team mates and myself.

“It is after weighing all these factors up that I have made this difficult decision. I enjoy my playing role at Margate and the chairman has been supportive of my decision and recognises the commitments and sacrifices that I have made and will continue to make to drive Margate into the league position we aspire to.

“I wish to thank all the people here at Margate FC for their support whilst I have been managing and a special thanks goes out to all the fans on which every non-league club is built.”

Former Crystal Palace and Gillingham midfielder Simon Osborn, meanwhile, will continue to manage the side with Ian Docker’s support.

“I will be giving the chairman, Simon and Ian my full support as a player as I know they are all pulling in the same direction and trying to run the football side as professionally as possible and hope that my performances inspire a better league position than we are currently in,” added Holloway.

“Simon was bought in to assist me and has vast experience and respect amongst the players and will continue in his role.  He has been managing most of the match days anyway allowing me to concentrate on playing and this will not adversely affect the team. Thanks once again for all your support.”

Margate club director, Keith Piper, added: “It must have been a very difficult decision to reach and I fully respect Craig’s integrity and honesty for the way he has chosen to inform the club of his decision.

“Craig will continue to be part of the squad and remains the first team number one.”

The club said that Osborn – who has previous managerial experience at Bromley and was Paul Merson’s assistant at Walsall - will make a further announcement regarding the make- up of his management team.

Margate are in eleventh-place in the Ryman Premier League having collected seven wins and three draws from their seventeen league games.  The Gate are eleven points adrift of fifth-placed side Dulwich Hamlet.

Osborn’s first game in sole charge is when fifteenth-placed side Wingate & Finchley visit Hartsdown Park tonight.

Visit Margate’s website: www.margate-fc.com

Margate  v Wingate & Finchley

Ryman Premier League

Tuesday 26^th November 2013

Kick Off 7:45pm

At Hartsdown Park, Hartsdown Road, Margate, Kent CT9 5QZ