I got carried away
By Ben Glass

Thursday 11th January 2007

CHAIRMAN Martyn Harrison today admitted he had `got carried away' as Weymouth Football Club plunged into crisis.

The hotelier claimed that he had been `ruled by his heart rather than his head' in bankrolling the side.

Manager Garry Hill, coach Kevin Hales have left the club and the entire first team of players have been put on the transfer list.

At an emergency conference Mr Harrison, chief executive Gary Calder and club sponsor Dave Higson of Park Engineering said players would be sold within 48 hours and the club would be looking for new players from within the area.

And it has been revealed that both Hill and Hales had not signed new contracts which would have kept them at the club until 2010.

A squad trip to Spain for a friendly against UD Horadada has been called off.

Mr Harrison said he would be risking jobs of 350 staff at Hollybush Hotels Ltd, which owns 83 per cent of the club, by ploughing even more money into the club.

He said he had put `a lot' of cash in since geting involved seven years ago - but would not be wanting any of it back and would stay as chairman.

It is understood the club is three months behind with its annual accounts and is being fined £100 a week as a result. But Mr Harrison said these figures would be available `very soon'. He blamed his dreams plus a failed deal to develop a supermarket at the ground for the crisis.

He said: "When I came into the club I had dreams for it and aspirations and I believe I got a bit carried away with how we were doing.

"I will say this. I've run this club really as a personal thing without too much advice from outside and I've been seeking advice recently and obviously I can't keep on doing what I've been doing.

"Obviously it's very nice to come for one-and-half hours every week and see the game and enjoy it.

"But the bottom line is I was spending as much as I could in the vain hope that something exceptional would happen."

"That 3,000 or 4,000 people would turn up, that we'd get to the third round of the FA Cup and play Manchester United, that someone would come and take one of our players for £200,000."

The shock news has come in the January transfer window and with Weymouth fac-ing a break between league games. Fans were expecting Weymouth to strengthen their squad for a promotion push, but instead they now-face the prospect of life with-out their manager and top players.

Mr Harrison said: "You get involved in football. It's not like normal business and I've been ruled by my heart rather than my head."

Mr Harrison said the club had been close to falling into the hands of receivers.

He said: "I had a choice. I could put the club into administration or, together with the board management, sponsors and supporters, we could work hard to keep the club going and ask everyone to get behind us.

"We were not prepared for the thwarting of our reasonable aspiration to redevelop the site in conjunction with a major supermarket chain.

"Everything looked positive up to the 11th hour when to our dismay, planning was denied."

"I do not believe there is anybody here who can say we have not enjoyed considerable success.

"We have seen considerable skill and commitment of both management and players, becoming Conference South Champions last season, a good performance in the FA cup both this season and last and are currently doing exceptionally well in the Nationwide Conference."

Mr Calder said he would be taking on the role of club coach and would be looking for players in a 50-mile radius of Weymouth.

Fred Dunford,secretary of the club's youth teams and former commercial manager, said: "We have 37 youth teams with players aged between six and 16 and we hold the FA Community Charter Award.

"We've got players that would be up to it."

South Dorset MP Jim Knight said: "This is a diffi-cult time for both the club and their tremendously committed supporters. The great achievements of last season and this year's promising start in the Conference mean the news comes as even more of a shock.

"The club brings great enjoyment to local supporters and plays an important role at the heart of the community. I am happy to work with supporters and the wider community to make sure we do everything possible to help the club."