I've never walked away from a challenge, says Hugo Langton

HUGO LANGTON says he is looking to get straight back into football after he was axed as the manager of struggling Horsham last Wednesday.



Forest Hill based Langton, who has previously coached Gillingham Ladies, Rusthall, Holmesdale, Ashford Town and Thamesmead Town, took charge of his first manager’s role last October when former Faversham Town boss Justin Luchford decided to leave Horsham to take over the vacant manager’s job at Whitstable Town.

Horsham have struggled in the Ryman Premier League all season and have remained at the foot of the table since losing 5-0 to Billericay Town on 22 November 2011.

Langton revealed Horsham had to pay their landlords Horsham YMCA £20,000 a year in rent to pay at the modest Gorings Mead, which is located behind the Hornets former ground at Queen Street.

“Magnificent club.  Magnificent supporters,” Langton said of Horsham.

“I went down there initially with Justin Luchford, when he left I took over.  It’s a very tough league, the Ryman Premier League, particularly when you haven’t got a lot of money.  The players’ were paid 40-50 pound a week and when you’re up against teams in that division it’s very hard to compete.

“I had a lot of young players, who were learning their way in the game.  We competed well.  It’s one of those leagues where if you make a mistake the ball’s in the back of the net and unfortunately it happened a lot to us.”

The “most disappointing thing,” for Langton was that he was told by the club that he was “planning for the future.”

Langton said: “I had a lot of ideas. I had big ideas for the youth structure and the senior structure.  As far as I’m concerned I had the backing of the board in the long term to re-build a football club, then out of the blue on Wednesday I had a phone call from my goalkeeper Michael Hunter saying I’d been sacked!

“I tried to phone the chairman, I couldn’t get through to him. I tried to phone the chief executive, I couldn’t get through to him. I then phoned the president and he didn’t know what I was talking about!

“The chairman eventually phoned me and asked me to resign – I refused as I’ve never walked away from a challenge and I’m not going to start now!

“I said if you want me to go, you have to sack me and he did and he already decided Simon Colbran was taking over from me.

“That was really disappointing. I understand my record there wasn’t great. I could only work with what I had and I’m sure Justin Luchford will say the same thing.  It’s a very hard place to work for with the money involved.”

When asked to explain the situation of someone knowing about his departure before he did, Langton said:
“What happened was – I’ve got to be careful how I say this because I’ve heard things and been told things – basically the long and short of it was an ex-Horsham player told my keeper that Simon Colbran has been in touch with him and would he come back to Horsham and work for him (Colbran).

“The way they handled it was incredibly bad.  I’ve had my say with them and the way I’ve been since I’ve walked into that club, I’ve been honest and up front and that’s the way I am.  The most disappointing thing was they couldn’t do that back to me.  Two people have left me a sour taste in my mouth.

“On the other side of it, I’ve got some great memories from that football club. All the way through the supporters’ backed me. They understood I was pissing into the wind and they appreciated that.”

Langton added: “Money isn’t anything, but when you can’t afford players it is hard and that was the disappointing thing. I really enjoyed managing. I loved every minute of it but it was not to be.”

Langton would like to hear from Kent clubs who are looking for a scout or a coach so he can get back into football immediately.

He said: “Since I’ve left the club – and I’m not lying – I’ve had about 150 phone calls, texts, emails, tweets telling me as I’m a good person, I’m a good football man to keep my head up and that was nice.

“Unfortunately I’m back doing nothing and I don’t want to be. I know there’s not a lot of the season to go.

“The way I look at it in the short-term if anybody wants any help in any capacity, I’m not doing anything.  I’m more than happy to work.

“I’m back sitting on my backside wondering what to do next.  I’ve had a few phone calls -  I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’ve had a flattering offer from a division who are too far from me and we’re talking about a club a long way away from me.

“I’ve got one or two potentials, but I don’t know what I’m going to do. All I know I don’t want to be sitting at home. Saturday was weird. Another Saturday (without football) would be weirder.

“I’m not the only one looking for work.  There’s some great football people out there.  If anyone wants my help, in any shape or form, get in touch.”

Former Sittingbourne defender, Ian Varley, who currently coaches the Gillingham Ladies team, played for Langton, who said: “Ian Varley is a fantastic centre half. The money he is still earning at Horsham for a player of his quality and experience was embarrassing but he did it for me and I’ll never forget that.

“Players’ played for me for next to nothing. I was about to sign a player from a Kent side on the day I left the club and he was going to take a pay cut to come and play for me.  That was hard to phone him on Wednesday night and he was gutted as he wanted to come and play for me.
 
Langton revealed that his assistant manager, Craig Wilkins, who has played for a number of Kent clubs, has also parted company with Horsham.

He said: “Wilko, what a bloke he is.  Me and Wilko will work together again. He’s a great bloke. He’s got great experience, he’s played over 500 games of non-league football. His attitude, he’s a role model for young players to look up to him.  I’m gutted for him as I am myself. He’s got a fantastic future in non-league football as a coach and potentially as a manager. He’s got a lot of respect for the game.  I’m hoping me and Wilko will be together in the dug-out again. That’s the plan, definitely.”

Tony Beckingham, whose former clubs include Holmesdale, was also on Langton’s coaching staff towards the end of his reign at Horsham.