We want to keep the Greeniwch Borough tradition going, says chairman Devon Hanson

GREENWICH BOROUGH have acted swiftly to unveil their new manager after losing their entire management team to their Kent League rivals Fisher yesterday, writes Stephen McCartney.


Fisher parted company with Gary Lisney after nearly two years in charge, after finishing their campaign at the foot of the Kent League table.

They appointed Bermondsey based Steve Firkins, who guided Greenwich Borough to fourth place in the Kent League table in his third and final season in charge of the club.

Greenwich Borough have today unveiled their new manager.

Gerry Cox, 57, a plumber who lives in Erith, has returned to the club after taking up a coaching role at relegated Ryman Premier League club Croydon Athletic last season.

Cox has vast coaching experience, including Charlton Athletic, Wimbledon, Arsenal and West Ham United, and non-league sides like Long Lane, Croydon Athletic and the London Representative side.

He left Greenwich Borough last year to join Croydon Athletic, following their much publicised problems.

“We work under quite tight restraints (at Greenwich Borough) and hopefully I can maintain the high standards that Steve kept,” said Cox.

Cox admitted he was “surprised” that Firkins left the club to join his home-town club.

“I was surprised as well, as I know Steve loves Greenwich Borough as a club as well after three years of hard work, but it takes a very special man to manage the club and Steve and his family used to do absolutely everything here.”

The homeless club are entering their third season sharing with Holmesdale and support has dipped drastically since their move from Harrow Meadow, Eltham, to Oakley Road, Bromley.

Greenwich Borough were the worst supported club in the Kent League last season with average home league crowds of just 31 – ten fewer than their landlords.

Firkins also acted as the club’s secretary, with his wife working in the refreshment bar and also acting as club treasurer – but Cox revealed he has found new people so he can concentrate on footballing matters.

“It is hard but we’ve got some assurances that other people will help us out this year,” said Cox.

“I’ve got a very good backroom staff coming in with me.  I know my work load will not be as heavy as Steve’s, so hopefully we can concentrate on creating a decent squad this season.”

Firkins revealed today that he will be bringing his trusted coaching staff with him to Fisher, with Bill Walton (assistant manager), Adam Lawrence (coach) and Allison Maloney (physio) joining him at Champion Hill.

And it would appear that the players’ that wore the red and black stripes of Greenwich Borough last season will be wearing the black and white of Fisher when the new season kicks off in August.

“I’ve invited all my players’ past and present in for pre-season.  Whether they turn up or not is another matter,” said Firkins.

“But I’m confident that the majority will relish a chance to play for Fisher Football Club.”

Cox, meanwhile, says he has youngsters lined up to play for Greenwich Borough next season, from Croydon Athletic, who will be playing in Ryman League Division One South next season, after going down with Aveley, Maidstone United and Folkestone Invicta.

Cox said: “This is an opportunity to test my skills.  It’s taken me years to get my coaching qualifications that I’ve got.  I will be picking players’ who have got the same ethic that I’ve got.  If they buy into my programme they will be given every opportunity.

“Steve is going to be a very hard person to follow, having first-hand knowledge how difficult it is.  Steve does remarkably well and that’s a credit to Steve and Bill and the players who play for the right reasons, rather than play for the financial (gain).”

But Cox knows last season’s squad will join Firkins at Fisher, and that he has to re-build the Greenwich Borough team.

“A lot of them have been with him from a very early age and I would expect them to join Steve if he gives them that opportunity.  Every Greenwich Borough player will have an opportunity to come back here if they want to.

“I’ve got some very good players who have committed to me from my time at Croydon Athletic so we’re not looking to build a team from scratch.  We’ve already got seven or eight players’ already in place and we’ll supplement that.”

Cox added: “I’m grateful to Devon Hanson for giving me this opportunity.”

Walton, meanwhile, admitted he was sad to leave Greenwich Borough but he jumped at the chance to re-join his boyhood club.

“It’s obviously a well-established club,” Walton, 49, an Eltham based printer, said of Fisher.

“I actually played for them in the late 70’s, late 80’s.  It was my first club that I played for as a sixteen-year-old so I’m going back to where I started. It’s nice for us to go back there and try and get them where someone like Fisher need to be really.”

Reflecting on leaving Greenwich Borough, Walton said: “I was quite prepared to jack it in and walk away from football and go and play golf.  Fisher was the only team I would have stayed in football for to be honest with you, if it wasn’t Greenwich Borough, I would have packed in.

“Fisher was a club I played for as a kid.  I lived in the area for most of my life before I got married. It was either that or nothing I suppose.

“I would just like to thank the chairman Devon Hanson and vice-chairman Kevin Marley with Steve who kept the club going and I appreciate everything they done for us really in such financial times.  Kevin Marley did put his hand in his pocket quite a lot.”

Greenwich Borough chairman, Devon Hanson, a headmaster, paid tribute to Firkins, but revealed his club will be going with youth in the Kent League next season.

“I don’t know about off-the-pitch, on the pitch it is a blow.  Steve has been a great manager for Greenwich Borough for the last three years and he will be missed but everybody has to move on,” said Mr Hanson.

“Gerry is a very experienced guy.  He’s more known as a coach.  He’s well known in the football eternity as a coach at Ryman and also Kent Premiership level.  He’s been in football for about 40 years from youth football and he’s got all his badges so we’re going to work as a team and try to explore this new venture shall we say.”

Speculation that Firkins was jumping off a sinking sink was rubbished by the chairman.
“Obviously there was speculation. Everybody knows that we haven’t got a ground and one of our key targets is to first of all develop youth football and get some younger footballers,” revealed Mr Hanson.

“I deal with young people in my professional job and one thing that I have been concerned about is the number of 18 to 19 year- olds who are just lingering now because you find clubs in the Kent League go for experienced players and we want to develop a young squad of people who are just wasted.

“Gerry is a promoter of good football, promoter of football being played to its maximum and I think his style of management, his style of coaching and style of football, is intoned in Greenwich Borough’s intentions.”

Closing the club down was not even an option.

Mr Hanson said: “There was a number of people putting their hands in their pockets (including myself) to keep the club afloat.  I think we are so proud of the tradition of Greenwich Borough.  It’s been going for 85 years and we’re all very conscious to maintain it.

“It was Steve, myself, Billy Walton, the vice-chairman Kevin Marley. We all put our hands in our pockets.  I don’t want to say Steve leaving the club will be poorer.  It will be poorer in terms of his experience and his richness in understanding football and his style of football.  I think that’s the way we’re poorer off but I think Gerry will bring as much to the team.

“Financially we’ve got one or two people that are interested.  If we close we will let down so many young men who want to play for Greenwich Borough, who enjoy playing for Greenwich Borough and we want to keep that tradition going.”

Visit Greenwich Borough’s website: www.greenwichboroughfc.com  

Visit Fisher’s website: www.fisherfc.co.uk