GARDNER DEPARTS RESERVES
One half of Lordswood Reserves' Joint Managerment team, Chris Gardner, has resigned from his position with immediate effect.
Chris joined the club at the start of the 2018/19 season teaming up with Imran Englefield who had successfully reformed a Reserve side for Lordswood in 2017 following the club's decision to fold the setup at the end of the 2014/15 season after winning the Suburban League South.
Chris teamed up with Imran and Lewis Jennings in the Kent County League Division One Central & East for the 2018/19 after the team had been promoted following a fourth placed finish in Division Two the season before.
The Lords finished a somewhat lowly 9th out of 11 that season, however the following season the team tasted success in the form of reaching the Kent Intermediate Cup Final, were placed 2nd in the league and also reached the quarter-final of the Inter-Regional Challenge Cup - all this was obviously halted by the current Covid Pandemic, although there is still hope that the cup final will be played.
Chris said: "Due to increasing work and personal commitments, I have taken the difficult decision to step down from the role of Reserves Team Joint Manager with immediate effect.
I want to thank everyone at the club for all their support over the last two and a half years and wish the club all the very best for the future. It’s been great seeing success on the pitch but I’ve been just as proud to see the support from the stands."
Imran Englefield will continue in his role as Manager with assistance from Lewis Jennings and Brady Lillis. Of Chris' departure, Imran had this to say:
"Chris has been a massive character at the club and I for one will miss seeing my best mate a couple of times a week massively.
I personally think he’s done so much more for the club than just manage a football team, he’s created close bonds with some of the lads that they’ll remember forever.
I started by simply asking him if he could spare some time to lend a hand here and there, and it wasn’t long before he gave his all to pushing the reserves to reach their true potential.
It's going to be strange without him in the dugout with us but would like to thank him on behalf of the management and the players for his efforts."
It's clear to see the hard work and effort that Chris has put in at the club which has helped bear fruit in pushing some of the Reserve players into the first team setup. He was always a level-headed person to speak to and knowledgeable about the game and the players he was managing.
Chris will be a big loss to the club as a whole and the Reserves section in particular, and we wish him all the best for the future.