'˜Time right for fresh pair of eyes' - Trinity chairman Kane on Housham exit

Gainsborough Trinity chairman Richard Kane believes the team needs a 'fresh pair of eyes', following the departure of Steve Housham.
Gainsborough Trinity chairman Richard KaneGainsborough Trinity chairman Richard Kane
Gainsborough Trinity chairman Richard Kane

A fourth consecutive defeat on Tuesday night proved Housham’s final game in charge of the Blues and ended a four-and-a-half-year reign in the Northolme hot seat.

He leaves with the club 13th in the National League North, five points shy of a top ten place and 15 away from the play-off picture with nine games remaining in the season.

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“There’s never a good time to depart with your manager,” Kane told the Standard. “I think there’s enough time left in the season to give us an opportunity to look at what we’re going to do moving in to the next one. The timing was about right. We obviously need a few more points in the bag but we’re looking more towards next season.

“We’ve had a good run with Steve over the last five years or so. He bought some excellent football to Gainsborough. It was just time to move on.”

Kane and Housham met the morning after the 2-0 defeat to Curzon Ashton in what the chairman described as “a frank and open discussion”.

He added: “We set off at the start of the season with aspirations of where we need to be finishing this season, with the budget that we’ve set ourselves, which we agreed. Arguably it’s still achievable to get that finish.

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“It’s just the recent poor performances have heightened the need to look at all managerial levels, right down to the players. We felt the time was right to put a fresh pair of eyes on it and see where we want to be and moving in to next season.”

In a statement released on the club’s official website Kane thanked Housham for his efforts over the years and wished him well for the future.

A first round FA Cup tie against Shrewsbury Town, victory over Wrexham and an impressive pair of results against rivals Boston United were among Housham’s highlights.

“I think people need to focus on the good times that have been, during Steve’s reign here,” said Kane. “He’s done a lot for the club. He’s a Gainsborough lad. He’s done a lot in the last 18 months I’ve been chairman.

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“We’ve had some good times and some bad times. We’ve beaten the local rivals twice, been in the FA Cup first round proper and won the Lincolnshire County Cup.”

Club captain Dom Roma will take over first team dutites until the end of the season.