TRURO CITY PRESS RELEASE

[Dave Deacon]

TRURO ‘WELL PREPARED’FOR PROMOTION PUSH -

NEW BOSS HODGES

Newly-confirmed manager Lee Hodges believes Truro City are well prepared for a serious promotion challenge next year.

Lee, 36, has been on loan from Torquay United since last October and took over the City hot seat on a caretaker basis following the departure of Steve Thompson in March.

The versatile former Tottenham Hotspur, Plymouth Argyle, Wycombe Wanders, Barnet and Reading player will have ex-City manager Dave Newton among his support team and is very confident that all last season’s first team squad, with the exception of Marvin Brown, will re-sign.

He will be looking to boost the squad with an additional “two or three” signings and is convinced that City will be good enough to play at the next level – having achieved a highest-ever finish of 11th in the Zamaretto Southern League Premier Division last season.

“I am really looking forward to the challenge, especially after the way we finished last season,” says Lee, who has signed a one-year contract as player-manager.

“Everyone in the League will be saying similar things, and I’m sure it will once again be a highly competitive league, so I’m not going to make any wild promises about our promotion prospects.

“We won’t have the biggest squad in the world, but I do emphatically believe that we are good enough to play at the higher level and take the club that much closer to its long-term aim of full-scale League football.

“Last season we were playing very much in unknown territory. We picked up a huge amount of experience and will be so much better equipped now. There is a great camaraderie in the squad and I have had an incredible amount of support from the team and club. In particular, I’m delighted that I will once again have Dave Newton working with me; his experience will be invaluable.”

On his own approach to the job, Lee says: “I have had quite a few years’ experience watching other managers doing their thing and I have my own ideas of how to get the best out of my own team now.

“I’m just looking forward to getting in there and getting the players around me once more and hopefully having a real stab at promotion this time.

“We will do well to better our 11th position of last season, and if we can get into the promotion frame that will be another major achievement for the club.

“I’m in talks with two or three prospective additions to the squad. We know that Marvin won’t be with us next season, but everyone else has said they want to stay and I’m just waiting for six players who still haven’t returned their forms. I’m on to them every day and there’s no indication that they won’t be signing.”

Lee quickly won the fans’ favour as a manager last term with not only the impressive run of results but also the attractive style of play, and he is confident the entertaining style can be sustained regardless of the greater demands of a season-long campaign.

“That’s the way I want to play it,” he confirms. “No doubt there will be times when we have to play ugly to secure a result, and the pitches won’t always be as dry and firm as they were towards the end of last season, of course.”

Lee has an open mind about how much he will continue as a player, commenting: “I did find it a little bit hard trying to be both in control as a manager and making my contribution as a player, but here again I found Newts’ support invaluable and I am sure that will continue to be the case.”

Lee’s new role as a manager has largely come “out of the blue,” as he explains: “Naturally, I was aware that I was coming towards the end of my playing career, but I didn’t join Truro City believing that I would be a manager within a few months!

“From the coaching point of view, I have always thought that I would like to give it a go, but at what level I didn’t really know. This will be very much a learning curve for me and I’ve nothing to lose, but it’s a great challenge and opportunity and I will give it everything I’ve got.”

Epping-born Lee, equally at home in defence or midfield as a player, made four appearances for Tottenham Hotspur in 1992-93.

Loan spells with Argyle and Wycombe followed before three years with Barnet (1994-97) and then four with Reading. He made 195 appearances for Argyle, scoring 11 goals, from 2001-08, before moving to Torquay.

[BHarvey]

“I’m in talks with two or three prospective additions to the squad. We know that Marvin won’t be with us next season, but everyone else has said they want to stay and I’m just waiting for six players who still haven’t returned their forms. I’m on to them every day and there’s no indication that they won’t be signing.”

No indication? How about them not having returned the forms despite your constant badgering? Sit these players in a room with the form in front of them,then see what happens. Good luck to you though Lee & Truro, would love to see you gain another promotion.