Greenwich Borough unveil John Cumberbatch as their joint-manager - Hugo Langton joins Horsham

GREENWICH BOROUGH have today unveiled John Cumberbatch will be their joint-manager alongside Gerry Cox, writes Stephen McCartney.


Cumberbatch, who has previously been involved with Kent sides Erith & Belvedere and Ashford Town, took charge of Horsham YMCA last December, but won only two of his 23 league games in charge at Goring’s Mead and the club were relegated back into the Sussex County League, after finishing rock bottom of the Ryman League Division One South table.

Greenwich Borough lost their entire management team when Steve Firkins, Bill Walton, Adam Lawrence and physio Allison Maloney left to join their Kent League rivals Fisher last month – and 57-year-old Cox was persuaded to re-join the club following a spell coaching at Croydon Athletic.

Cox said today: “John Cumberbatch, the ex-Horsham YMCA manager, has agreed to come on board as joint-manager.

“I’m really pleased to have someone of John’s stature with me and excited at the prospect of building a team with him.”

Orpington resident Cumberbatch, who works as a coach for the Protec Football Academy in south London, was disappointed that he failed to maintain Horsham YMCA’s Ryman League status.

“There are not many people more disappointed at our relegation than I am,” Cumberbatch told www.horshamymcafc.com.  

“I may come across as calm and nonchalant with the air of someone who does not have many concerns and I may not spend too much time screaming and swearing in anger on the touchline, but there can’t be many hurting and as unhappy at the way things have gone (during the) second half of the season as I am.

“My bitter dissatisfaction, however, comes from the dislike of letting people down and the difficulty I have in experiencing failure.

“Had we been relegated by a few points or in the last one or two matches of the season or some other close call, the disappointment would have possibly been much greater for all of us, but at least we would have been able to hold our heads a little higher.

“When you feel strongly that you are capable of achieving something, it is bitterly annoying when you do not achieve it, however hard the task may have been to begin with.

“I knew that the task was going to be extremely difficult when I took over and I also knew there was a reasonable chance we would be relegated.

“When I took the job, however, I was not being blasé when I said that I was confident of avoiding relegation.

“I have been in a similar situation before (at Ashford Town) and having managed to lift a side that time, I was confident that it could be done again, although aware that in this different situation with a different set of circumstances; it could prove to be more difficult.  What I did not expect was for us to fail to put up more of a fight than we did.”

Meanwhile, Hugo Langton, has been appointed as Justin Luchford’s assistant manager at Ryman Premier League side Horsham.

Greenwich-based Luchford, 34, parted company with Faversham Town in March, after just over three years in charge at Salters Lane and was appointed Horsham's new manager at the beginning of this month.

Forest-Hill based Langton, 36, parted company with Thamesmead Town last month, and went for the manager’s job at Horsham, but had to settle for the assistant manager’s job role.

Former  Ashford Town and Thamesmead Town coach Langton said: “I actually applied for the job but missed out by a whisker to Justin.

“I know him anyway so when he got the job he called me and asked me to join him.

“He shares my ambitions and enthusiasm so it was a no brainer. 

“We’re two different people and I think a combination of both our beliefs and ideas will work extremely well.

“We’ve a massive challenge ahead of us, and I mean massive, and I can’t wait for pre-season to start.

“The challenge and teaming up with Justin made it an easy decision.”

Luchford, who took over from John Maggs, who served the club for eleven years before leaving due to budget cuts, told www.hornetsreview.co.uk:  “Hugo joins me at an exciting time for this club and is delighted to be on board.

“Hugo is an “A” licence coach and knows the game very well.  Hugo will work closely with me on all aspects of the playing side, and will be responsible for the coaching and preparation of the players for match days.

“Hugo has great ideas and has a very professional approach.  The sessions he puts on will be relevant, enjoyable, hard work but most importantly they will be a key factor in the players’ decisions to come to this football club, or in some cases remain at the club.

“We have to get players to want to be here, want to work hard and feel pride in putting on the shirt.  Hugo will play a huge part in making this happen.”