I wanted to play the game, insists Hughes

Sunday 29th November 2009

FORMER Holmesdale manager Billy Hughes insists he played NO PART in the club’s rebel players controversially walking out on the club and forfeiting yesterday’s Bulmers Cider Kent League home game against Deal Town, writes Stephen McCartney.

Holmesdale’s players controversially turned their back on the Bromley based club and forfeited the game, after voting amongst themselves whilst on the pitch to quit within an hour of yesterday’s game, which was scheduled to kick-off at two o’clock due to floodlighting issues at Oakley Road.

Hughes, issuing his statement to www.kentishfootball.co.uk today, says Deal were late arriving for the game and that he was going to quit the club after the game anyway.

Someone from the Holmesdale camp revealed yesterday that the players had not been paid for two months, after an unnamed investor has ploughed some money into the club.

“I’ve got nothing to say really, so I just let the club make their statement and that will be it really,” said Hughes.

“Players chose to do what they’ve done. I don’t condone it, I wanted the game to be played, but the players wanted their questions answered.

“I thank Holmesdale for their time there and that’s it really. I’m no longer the manager. There’s numerous things, I don’t want to bad-mouth the club. I’m very thankful to the chairman for giving me the opportunity. I thank the players but I‘m no longer able to work there anymore.”

When quizzed about the two month’s without any wages, Hughes replied, “Again, I really can’t get into it, I can’t get into it. I don’t want to bad-mouth the club. It’s got the makings of a great football club down there, but, yes.

“Well, when players are unhappy, and they’ve been asking and asking questions and they don’t get those questions answered they can only take so much!

“You look at our fixtures, we’ve been away to Herne Bay twice, away to Hythe, that’s 120-mile round trips and money’s tight for everyone with Christmas coming up.

“I feel sorry for the club, I feel sorry for the players, it’s just a horrible, horrible situation, but I think it’s

just the sign of the times at the moment really.”

Hughes insisted: “I don’t want people to think it was me to get the game (called off), the players made their own decision, it was nothing to do with me.

“Myself and the coaches were there ready for the game to start. The players had their meeting, it was their decision to walk. They were on the pitch, Deal were running late, so all the players left the ground by about ten past one, or something like that anyway.

“I was leaving after the Deal game either way. Again, let the club come out with the next stage of events, you’ll see what happens there. I don’t want to get involved with any speculation or exactly what happened.

“I just don’t want people to think I wanted the players to go. The players had no inkling that I was going. I was going to tell them after the Deal game. I was going to thank them all and go. It was a difficult one.”

The club, who have yet issued a statement, are expected to unveil their new management team shortly.

Holmesdale, who travel to improved Sporting Bengal United on Saturday, are presently in 14th place (third-bottom) in the table, with a record of three wins and a draw from their 12 league outings to date.

Visit Holmesdale’s website: www.holmesdalefc.co.uk