Badgers look for stabilityConsett Legend Lindoe Resigns after 10 Years

[FF News]

Retford United have held an emergency meeting this week in their first steps to stabilise the club after a dramatic few days at the Jones

Kenny Lindoe has stepped down as manager of Consett AFC with immediate effect. Kenny won't be severing his links with the club, however; he will be staying on in a role, responsible for finding and developing young players and forging links around the North East and beyond. The Steelmen plan to start a reserve side next season, as well as a team to represent the club in the FA Youth Cup, and Kenny will be instrumental in the recruitment of players.

He had talked to Chairman Frank Bell about giving up the hotseat at the end of this season - his 10th in charge - but after the club's exit from the FA Vase at North Shields on 17 January, the move has been brought forward. He will prepare the team in an acting-manager capacity until a new manager is appointed. Ironically, his first game was also at North Shields, a 3-1 win in August 2005.

Kenny, who won the league on a shoestring with Brandon United in 2004, became manager at Consett in the summer of 2005, in the wake of their relegation from the 1st Division. He built a superb attacking side which took the 2nd Division by storm, breaking numerous club records on the way to the title, including their biggest-ever Northern League victory, 12-1 v Guisborough Town.

Their first season back in the top flight saw them finish a creditable 4th in the 1st Division, but the high-spot was winning the Durham Challenge Cup for the first time in 37 years, beating Chester-le-Street Town 3-2 at Nissan. In 2007-08 they were among the front-runners for the title until the turn of the year. But their best-ever run in the FA Vase, where they controversially exited in the 5th Round at Merstham, cost them dear. The resulting fixtures backlog proved too much for a relatively small squad, and they had to settle for the runners-up spot behind Durham City.

In 2008-09 they came within minutes of a first-ever Northern League title. A point from their last game at Whitley Bay would have made them champions, and they led 2-0 at half-time. But a second-half fight-back saw the FA Vase finalists (and eventual winners) break Consett hearts with a late winner. Three days later Newcastle Benfield travelled to Penrith needing a win to snatch the title from Consett's grasp, and got it with a late goal, leaving the Steelmen runners-up for the second year in a row.

In 2010-11, Lindoe's team finished second again, for the third time in four seasons, despite him having a near-fatal heart attack on St Patrick's Day. Their tally of 93 points (and 103 goals) was their best-ever 1st Division haul, and would have been enough to win the title in most of the previous 10 seasons. Since then, although his side have consistently been one of the most entertaining in the league to watch – scoring 110 league goals last season, and conceding 83 - but further success has eluded them.

Chairman Frank Bell said: "Kenny is a really nice guy and one of the longest-serving managers in this club's history, and I have nothing but respect for the way he conducts himself, and wants his teams to play football. We hope that in his new role he will help lay the foundations necessary to bring lasting success to this club, and produce a steady supply of players for the first team. It would have been nice for him to go out on a high by winning the FA Vase at Wembley in his last game as manager, but that was not to be.

"By making the change now, a new manager will have time to assess the current squad, and decide what changes need to be made to enable us to challenge for the trophies we crave. This way, we hope to hit the ground running next season, instead of having to start the whole process from scratch in the summer."

Applications for the manager's role should be made to Frank Bell on 07710 133694 or by emailing fbell@live.co.uk

 

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