IN THE week when the club parted company with Andy Patterson and his number two Mark Watson, club secretary Mark Holstead explained the reasons behind the changes.
Holstead said: “The club would like to place on record their thanks to Andy and Mark for all their efforts over what has been a difficult time. They have worked hard and under tight restrictions due to the current financial situation.
“Even when we got them together to discuss the club’s plight they were willing to stay on and work with us. However, the results have not been good enough for the club or for Andy himself.
“As a former Thackley player he was very disappointed with the decision but he and Mark took it very professionally. They have both been offered roles within the club and I hope they will stay.
“Mark is one of the founders of our youth section and is a trustee of that side of the club and continues to coach some of our young players.”
The club has restructured the system and installed Mark Senior as director of football and Carl Priestley as head coach. Priestley was at Dennyfield as a youth player but recently has been managing Sunday League club Swaine Green.
While he is inexperienced at the level that Thackley operate in, Senior is on hand for him to communicate with.
Holstead added: “Mark brings a lot of experience with him and has numerous contacts within the game. He is a former Thackley player and has the best interests of the club at heart.
“Carl brings youthful exuberance to the job, he is only 27, and he also knows the club really well. Carl was here as youth player when Graham Clifford was in charge of youth development.
“We have appointed Carl as interim head coach and we are inviting applications for the role but Carl is in the box seat and very much one of the main contenders to get the job on a full time basis.
“It will be seen as a risk by some but there is an element of risk with every appointment. There were options that would have been seen as more safe but I think there have been too many ‘safe’ appointments made down the years that haven’t worked out.”
Applicants are asked to forward their CV to Mark Holstaed by e-mail to mark.holstead48@gmail.com
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