It’s all change at the Moulton Harrox helm after co-bosses Bobby Patterson and Tim Cole stepped down, with former chief Kev Nottingham stepping up to take the top job for a second time.
Patterson and Cole, who guided Harrox to fifth place in the ChromaSport PDFL Premier Division, the Lincs FA Junior Cup final and the last four of the League Cup last season, decided that they didn’t want to continue for another season.
Both have personal circumstances that mean walking away is the best decision, with Cole now working in Sheffield and former captain Patterson wanting to spend more time with his family.
The veteran defender, who has a lengthy association with the club as a player, had hinted that he was considering his future in the wake of the shock 7-0 defeat to Wyberton in the county cup final last month.
And, despite being scared that his year as boss will be labelled as a failure, he admits that the role just isn’t for him long-term.
“It was my choice to walk away,” said Patterson. “If I’m honest with myself, I just wasn’t enjoying it as much as I’d hoped I would.
“Obviously the cup final was a low point and I was very down after that.
“I put a lot of effort into the job – which is unpaid – and almost all of my spare time was touched by it in some way.
“I take things home with me and, in a way, my wife and two children didn’t get the best of me when things weren’t going too well.
“I asked my family what I should do about next season and they didn’t understand why I’d possibly want to keep doing something that got me so down.
“It’s difficult. I’ve been with the club for so long and I didn’t want to feel like I was letting anybody down.
“So I spoke to the club’s Russ Whitworth about it and he was very good, which made my decision easier.
“I don’t want to be seen as a failure as a manager, but I can honestly say that I’d rather spend my time with my wife and kids and watching the boys play football instead of managing Moulton and all that comes with it.
“With Tim having a job in Sheffield now and his time stretched, there was also no way I’d do the role by myself.
“I’ll still be in and around the club at times, it’s a place I have a lot of love for.
“A few clubs have been in touch about my situation, but the truth is that if I don’t want to manage Moulton, there’s no way I’d consider doing it elsewhere. I wish Kev and the club all the very best for next season.”
With Nottingham stepping up to the first team, James Langford will take on the role of manager for Moulton’s Reserves next season, while Marcus Holcolme stays as under-18 boss.
