Tanners manager takes charge for the final time

[FF News]

Leatherhead manager Richard Brady was hoping to sign off with a home win in the Ryman's top flight on Saturday after announcing that he was standing down to become the club's new head of football development.

The Tanners, at home to Harrow Borough in the Ryman Premier, announced at lunchtime that Brady was standing down to spend more time with his young family.

After taking charge for the final time, Brady will be succeeded by Mike Sandman with his former number two formally taking control of first team affairs at Fetcham Grove from Monday.

In a statement explaining the shake-up, Leatherhead chairman Peter Ashdown paid tribute to Brady who took the helm at Fetcham Grove nearly five years ago and won promotion last season.

Ashdown said: "Today’s game at home to Harrow Borough will be Richard Brady’s last as first-team manager. Richard has expressed a wish to stand down as manager. He has recently found the expanded role he has performed at the club too time consuming to enable him to enjoy family life with a young child and feels he has perhaps taken the team as far as he can, within the budget constraints imposed by the club.

"The board have been keen to keep Richard involved, and agreed a restructuring of the football management at the club, that continues to utilise Richard`s strengths and skills to the benefit of the club. He will move to the newly-created position of `head of football development`, with closer links to the U21s as well as continuing to expand the academy.

"Richard will continue to play an active part in first-team player recruitment, in liaison with the new manager, using his established excellent contacts at a large network of clubs.

"He has been our manager for four years and three months, making him the second longest-serving manager in Leatherhead`s history, behind only, the late Billy Miller. Richard has met every target we set him, bringing a professionalism to the club, a high standard of coaching, and very good players who have taken us to our highest recent league level in the Ryman Premier Division and kept us there.

"The board would not have initiated a change, but having listened at length to Richard`s vision and proposals to help the club continue to develop we have endorsed his plan, and have thanked Richard for his sterling work on behalf of the club, as well as wishing both Richard and Mike every success, in their respective roles, moving forward."

He added: "I wish to stress that Richard initiated the change in his role, and he clearly cares deeply about the club, and wishes to continue to help develop the club, at all levels, in the future."

Source: www.isthmian.co.uk

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[Big J R]

Mike Sandmann from Dover Athletic says he cannot wait to get started at Leatherhead in his first managerial role at senior level.