Gorman begins salvage operation - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Paul Gorman insists he is the man to turn around the fortunes of Kent League side Erith & Belvedere after being appointed their new manager, writes Stephen McCartney.

Wayne Brown and his assistant Warren Hackett both resigned from the Park View Road club following their 1-0 Kent League Cup defeat at Sevenoaks Town on Tuesday night, having picked up just two league wins from their first 12 outings, leaving the club in the bottom six.

But Doncaster born Gorman, joint-manager Chris Cosgrove and assistant Gary Davies have experience to turn things around.

Gorman, 38, started his career as a Schoolboy at Manchester United and then spent four years in South Africa before signing for home town club Doncaster Rovers.

Charlton Athletic then splashed out £60,000 for his services from Fisher Athletic, and Gorman played under Alan Curbishley and Steve Gritt.

“I had an up and down spell at Charlton with a knee injury,” he recalled in his first EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“I’ve been around good managers and coaches so I know what I’m talking about.

“I left Charlton after five years then went to Welling where I scored 15 goals in ten games then broke my leg at Merthyr Tydfil.

“I packed in football, had enough with it at 32, then somebody got hold of me, coaching my youngest son, who was five-years-old and got me interested in football again.”

But with former Greenwich Borough managerial pair Cosgrove and Davies on board, Gorman insists the trio have the formula to help the Deres climb the Kent League table.

“Chris was at Greenwich Borough and was having a bad time and I just went down to watch,” Gorman recalled.

“I knew Greenwich Borough when Dave Mehmet was manager. He asked me to coach and we ended up doing well towards the end of the season.

“I was on holiday when Chris and Gary both resigned from Greenwich Borough at the start of this season or I would have still been there. If my friends leave, I leave.”

Gorman revealed that he voluntary coaches the academy side for Arsenal and scouts for the Premiership giants. He also runs a Sunday League side and coaches an under ten side too.

“They’re unbeaten and have only let in one goal in 12 games,” Gorman said. “The under 10’s had never won a game until I coached them.

“I know it’s kids football and I know Erith need help and Chris will help us and also Gary has come in because he knows players and he can bring in people.”

Davies has a wealth of Kent League experience and knows many players during his times at Bromley, Fisher Athletic, Beckenham Town, Greenwich Borough and Sevenoaks Town.

The trio will meet the Deres’ squad during their first training session tonight, with experienced striker Steve White offering his views on the underperforming team.

“We are looking to strengthen, not weaken,” insists Gorman. “We are going to get boys who are going to fight for us and players who are already there will have to fight for their places.

“We are starting from scratch. We will see them tonight for training for the first time and tell them the situation.

“Erith fans have seen Greenwich improve and we intend to do the same at Erith & Belvedere.”

Deal Town visit Park View Road in the Kent League Cup (Group B) on Saturday, looking to improve on their record so far, having banked just one point from their first two group games.

But Gorman’s side will have all guns blazing for their trip to Sporting Bengal United on Saturday 11^th November, with Kent League points at stake.

And although the Deres are 15 points adrift of leaders Thamesmead Town, Gorman has not thrown in the towel for the club’s intended promotion push.

He said: “I think Erith & Belvedere have gone through a bad patch. Every team goes through a bad patch and hopefully Whitstable and Thamesmead will have one.

“If we can turn the corner in the next couple of weeks I think we’ve got a chance, an outside chance. Nothing is impossible until it’s mathematically impossible.”

But Gorman calls upon the Deres’ faithful to give his side the support they need to salvage the club’s push towards promotion.

“Hopefully the Erith & Belvedere fans will come back and support us,” he said.

“We need people to come and help us. The board are helping us and we need the supporters to help us and get behind us.”

The former Welling United player insists his Erith & Belvedere side will entertain, and score goals - but more importantly keep clean sheets.

“I don’t want one-nil. I want three or four nil,” he said. “I don’t like losing. Anybody who knows me knows I don’t like losing - I just like winning.

“I’m up front. I tell people to their faces and if they don’t like it, it’s their fault as I’m a straight forward guy.

“If a supporter came up to me on Saturday I will speak to them. I won’t blank them, I’ll even buy them a drink. I’m not the one that push anyone away.”

Gorman explained what he wants for the rest of the season.

“I want to bring the club out of this league,” he said. “If we can get going who knows what will happen.

“My other two partners have already started the work getting players so hopefully I can get a bit of work from Steve White and some of the other boys and I’ll assess that on Saturday.

“We’ve got a chance of getting through but I’m concentrating on league and Vase.

“I want to win and I want to win well. I don’t like sitting back and if the forwards don’t do well then I will bring in other forwards to do it for me.”

Visit Erith & Belvedere's website:  www.erithandbelvederefc.co.uk