O'Boyle looks forward to fresh new challenges - EXCLUSIVE

STEVE O’BOYLE believes moving to Holmesdale to become their assistant manager is a good career move for him, writes Stephen McCartney.

The 31-year-old, who lives in Welling and is a salesman at Smithfield meat market in London, leaves his beloved Thamesmead Town to get involved with first-team football management.

O’Boyle believes he needs a fresh challenge, having guided Thamesmead’s second string to the league title for the past three seasons.

“I think I out grew the job at reserve team level,” admitted O’Boyle, when speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk today.

“I’ve had three good years at Thamesmead,” said O’Boyle, who, apart from a year and a half at Slade Green, has been at Bayliss Avenue since the age of 12.

“I’ve got to say to you that I’ve had three different sides as well. There’s been one player from day one, whose still with me now, Steve Diamond.

“It was frustrating at times. I just don’t think I can motivate myself to do it again next season.

“To be fair, I love Thamesmead, it’s my club, you have to do what’s right for you and I needed to be around a first team.”

Despite picking up numerous trophies whilst at Bayliss Avenue, O’Boyle was disappointed that other Kent League club’s didn’t approach him to be first-team manager material.

“I’ve had no phone calls at all, to be fair,” he revealed. “I won the league three wins on the spin, the double the year before.

“Holmesdale rang me up for a chat and to be fair the club has got potential and looking to go forward.

“That appeals to me, they made me welcome and seem to be a great bunch of lads.

“It’s not going to happen over night down there, two or three years as they’re a young side.

“I’ll take some players and there’s no reason why we can’t have a good season next year.  I’m under no illusions, we’re not going to finish in the top half but we’ll build on from that.

“I’ll be taking maybe six or seven players, plus one or two from other Kent League sides who I know and Holmesdale have got some decent players down there.

“Everyone starts afresh in pre-season and hopefully we’ll get a decent squad together.”

O’Boyle, meanwhile, revealed that the Bromley outfit are expecting to install their new floodlights at their Oakley Road ground within two weeks.

He said: “I’ve never been down there before, when I walked down there, I liked what I see.

“Of course it’s exciting. It’s my first real go at things isn’t it? I wouldn’t change what I did at Thamesmead for nothing, it’s time to move on.

“At Holmesdale, no-one’s really expecting anything from us but hopefully we can do well and upset some teams.”

When asked if Holmesdale will have a budget at their disposal for their second ever Kent League season, O’Boyle replied: “Not really no. It’s something that we’ll talk about later on but at the moment, no! We’ll talk about it and we’ll see what happens.

“I’ve got some good honest players who I know have and can play at that level and we don’t have any greedy players going down there. They’re not worried about money.

“Can I name names? I could do but they haven’t put pen to paper. I’m talking about good friends of mine now, a handshake agreement. They’re coming, six reserve team players coming down from Thamesmead.”

O’Boyle has high hopes for his replacements at Bayliss Avenue Wayne Barrett and Anthony Potts, adding: “I wish them all the best. They’re really good mates of mine and I hope they do well.

“I wish Keith McMahon and the first team all the best (in the Ryman League). I will be a keen supporter and I will be down there whenever I can.

“To be fair, it would have been hard to motivate myself next season, winning three titles on the spin. To do it for four would have been harder and harder.

“I told Keith three months ago that I was going so he’s had plenty of time to sort out a replacement.”