NPL Division One East
Stocksbridge Park Steels interim manager Lee Thompson has paid tribute to departed boss Chris Hilton.
Hilton brought the curtain down on seven years in charge of Stocksbridge straight after the club’s FA Cup defeat at Handsworth – leaving assistant manager Thompson to take the helm.
The news of his departure sent shockwaves throughout the Non League community and Thompson – who intends to apply to win the post on a permanent basis – admits the job Hilton has done cannot under-stated.
“Unbelievable; for someone to be in a job so long and do what he’s achieved is remarkable,” Thompson told Non League Yorkshire.
“People know and it is not unknown that Stocksbridge work to their budget.
“We haven’t got massive amounts (of money) just to throw at people.
“We worked for seven years on our budget.
“We can’t pull out £300 or £400 a week out of the air to bring a couple of players in.
“How Chris has managed it has been a credit to himself and he does deserve a job higher up.
“He’s a fantastic manager and it is credit to Chris that he has kept this team where they are.
“He’s worked absolute wonders.
“You look at what we did when we lost in the play-offs (in 2017).
“We shouldn’t have been anywhere near (the play-offs) but we were because as a group we were a close-knit group.”
Former Worsbrough Bridge boss Hilton informed his players in a brief address after the Handsworth game and Thompson was not totally surprised by his resignation.
“It was (a shock) and it wasn’t (a shock),” he said.
“Chris had been there for seven years and me and him speak on numerous occasions during the day.
“There is times where I have seen him down and I pick him up and he does exactly the same with me – whether it is stuff going off at home, stuff at work or stuff at football.
“In my heart I knew there was something wrong.
“I’ve known him that long and he’s a close friend so it was devastating.
“I’ve stepped up to the plate at the minute because he has put a talented group of players together and we have worked hard together and it would be a shame for it to be disbanded if someone new came in.
“That’s football though.
“If someone new comes in they’re going to have their own players and their own thoughts.
“Chris understood that and that’s why he said ‘take charge Thommo’.
“I didn’t go in the changing room after Saturday as I was devastated.
“I stayed outside and when he came out he looked me in the eye and said ‘Thommo you take charge and see what you’ve got’.”
Boston United legend Thompson first arrived at Bracken Moor in 2014 as a player.
He briefly left at one stage that year before returning – eventually becoming player/coach.
He was promoted to the assistant manager in 2018.
Now he finds himself as the number one and he has revealed that he will be submitting an application for the permanent position.
“I do want to be a football manager, hence why I stepped up to be first team coach and why I went to assistant manager,” he said.
“I do want that but I have to weigh up everything as to whether it is right.
“I am going to apply for the job but it is for the club to decide whether that is right or whether they want to go on a fresh route.
“The next two games may define it and they’re two massive games.
“The lads are up for it and I hope I can get a response.
“If I get a response like I did (against Liversedge) then hopefully we will pick some points up over the weekend (against Pickering Town and Stocksbridge Park Steels).”
Although the Liversedge clash ended in a 3-0 defeat at Bracken Moor, Thompson saw positives.
“It was a hard night and we knew how strong they were,” he said.
“We had reports come through on how they play and I tried to combat that with what I had available.
“I had 48 hours to try and sort things out.
“I had three of the better forwards in the league out and I had to make do with what I had.
“I tried my best.
“It didn’t pan out but we did play some very good football and people have commented that we did.
“But with how Liversedge play it was very difficult for us.
“I had a comment from a Liversedge guy who said ‘keep doing what you’re doing because if you play like that you’re going to pick up a lot of results’.
“That’s a credit to the lads, the club and what Chris has tried to put in place.”
Stocksbridge have two home games this weekend – Pickering Town on Saturday and then Yorkshire Amateur on Bank Holiday Monday.
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