Claridge defends his 16 months in charge

Monday 20th December 2004

One man missong at last night's Terrs AGM was former player-manager Steve Claridge.

When shareholders and supporters were arriving at the Riviera Hotel, Claridge was finishing a radio stint at the Premiership game between Portsmouth and Arsenal.

However, Claridge did issue a severn-page statement in which he defended his 16 months reign at the Wessex Stadium, which ended following Weymouth's shock FA Cup defeat at Thame in October.

Claridge said: lt! would like to thank everyone connected with Weymouth Football Club for what was mostly an enjoyable time of my career.

"Naturally I was unhappy with the way it ended.

I felt that the new squad was beginning to gel, as the fact/ that we had just taken 12 points from seven games shows.

"Off course the defeat at Thame, which seems to have been the final straw for the board, was disappointing.

But cup defeats happen and will always do.

"l have been disappointed by certain events at the club since I left, and I made my position clear about the rote of Martyn Harrison in my statement to the Dorset Echo last week.

"It does seem that some quality players have left, for one reason or another, and I worry for the club. I have also been disappointed by the reaction in some quarters to my departure, and a revision of my time at
the club.

Let me make one thing clear.

I worked to a very tight budget last season, much less than some clubs including Crawley, Newport County and Havant and Wateriooville.

"When I arrived, the squad was thin.

Quite a few players were not good enough, having finished 17th in the league the season before.

They left. I had to do two things bring in good quality players on the right money and make the best of the existing and young talent."

Claridge's signings included stars he counted on such as Paul Buckle and Lee Philpott, but he claimed local youngsters like John Lamb, Scott Dennis and Carl Mutch did not have what it needed to make
the then Dr Martens Premier Division grade.

During the first half of last season, Claridge appeared to be getting it right with the Terras entering the festive programme riding high.

But a poor second half to the campaign saw their promotion bid falter with Crawley eventually winning a place in the Conference.

Claridge added: "In my view, the problem was more mental than anything else.

There were a lot of players at the club who were not used to going for promotion but were more familiar with relegation battles and there is a big difference.

"There was also pressure in playing for Weymouth because of the fan base and expectations - I felt under less pressure at Brighton over the past month."

Claridge said he backed the club in a numbers of ways including buying £5,000 worth of shares, loaning £15,000, purchasing training equipment and paying assistant Mick Jenkins' expenses.

"I know what I did on the field and contribution I made off it," he said.

"I can look myself in the mirror. I know I left a dressing room that backed me as well.

"I am just sorry that the club panicked.

They say I cost too much. Well, I was always willing to forego my bonuses in the future for the ex-chairman (lan Ridley) if the ,club was struggling, or wait to see if we got the Asda money.

"I was also willing to renegotiate my contract downwards for him once I gave up playing."

He continued: "I believe that had the club shown some patience and courage, and more faith in me. we would have continued on the upswing, on and off the field, that the first year had produced."