AN INTERVIEW WITH NEW BURNHAM FC MANAGER PAUL SHONE...

Paul Shone, the ex-Flackwell Heath manager took over at Burnham FC recently in an attempt to save the club from relegation. 5 wins and 21 defeats from 31 league outings this term have left the Blues bottom of the Hellenic Premier League, with a mere 17 points and a dreadful goal-difference of -62...

This seems a long way from my only visit to The Gore on 25th February 2014, when Truro City visited for a Southern League Premier clash, won 1-2 by the White Tigers. More about that encounter, originally postponed on 4th January that year, later in this article...  

Paul Shone kindly agreed to answer a few questions abut his new appointment, which I thank him for...

You had great success at Flackwell Heath; any comments about your time there?

"Yes, I had great success over the years but that has now finished and it's time to hopefully bring success to Burnham." 

Did you intend to return to management this season?

"No, I was waiting until the summer as I have lots going on in my personal life but this opportunity come along, one I fancied and one I wanted to get my teeth into because long term it will be massive."

Who will assist you at The Gore?

"At the moment I've not appointed anyone. Jock, who was there before is staying on and helping out until the end of the season and I will also have different people helping out on training nights until then." 

Do you have a mental note of players you would like to sign? And do you have new faces already?

"Yes, I've already signed 8 new ones to get us out of this relegation battle and also to stay on for next season. There are players I'll be looking to bring in next year but it's hard to do so now, so late on in the season with some guys challenging for titles and cups!"

Your main aim at Burnham initially must be survival...

"Yes, that is our only aim to stay up, with one eye on planning for next year to go and challenge on all fronts, the main one being winning the league." 

Looking back at your time with the Flackers, there must have been good times to remember?

"Yes, I had lots of good times. Winning the title was a massive achievement, also the FA Vase run which was quite special." 

Had you received any other approaches before the Blues offered you this appointment?

"Yes, I had a couple but I needed to take a rest and recharge and wait for the right one that ticked all the boxes for me and had the same ambitions as I do."

How much did you miss being involved in management after Flackwell Heath?

"To start with not much, as I have so much going on in my personal life and I was also able to spend time with my wife and my son and watch him enjoy his football in the week and weekends but I was starting to miss it in the last few weeks now that things have become a bit easier for me in my personal life." 

You had a good start v Royal Wootton Bassett Town. What things pleased you? What things concerned you? 

"Yes, a great start to the survival bid. Always good to keep a clean sheet too. I was pleased with how the new boys came in and settled very quickly and how the old boys responded to what I asked of them. I was pleased with all of them and what they showed was a willingness to want to win and work so hard to do so. If they keep that up we will be fine. Nothing worried me on Saturdays showing, as we will only get better."

The goal difference appears to need addressing!

"Yes, that has been a big thing and one we will be dealing with and we will be looking to be more compact, putting our bodies on the line and wanting to defend to keep a clean sheet. I saw from Saturday's display that these boys can do that..."

Shoney, the new Burnham FC Manager... 

So, it was a good start for Shoney, who schemed a 2-0 home win last week v Royal Wootton Bassett Town, courtesy of goals by Matt Sinclair and Calvin Morgan... 

Let's hope that Shoney achieves his goals too...

My trip to Burnham on a dark February evening in 2014 was enjoyable, I recall...

THE BODGING KINDA GOT WEDGED IN...

LOVE THESE ITEMS OF MACHINERY...

The opening paragraph from my match report at the time:

"The Gore: a fine name for a soccer ground, taken presumably from the common land thereabouts of the same name. And Truro padded their way through this game on a pudding of a pitch to snatch victory from a more direct, physical and on occasions more incisive Burnham team. Early indecision and an acute inability to deal with the strong running of Blues’ Nikke Kebamba, Aaron Couch and Miles Hippolyte, forced City into hurried and often wild clearances and really, the hosts ought to have won the match by the interval, missing several chances. Truro took their penalty gift however and parity reigned at the break. A dismissal for the oddly misbehaving Lewis Driver on the hour for a bad challenge on Liam Eddy, offered the White Tigers some impetus and they certainly nullified much of Burnham’s long ball game, winning the game with a Cody Cooke strike, even though a late goal-line clearance denied the hosts a point, which surely they deserved, at least. Players seemingly found kicking the ball a tough assignment though, reminding me of the old leather case-ball days, when, as a seven year old, on cold, damp mornings in Glebe Farm Park, Birmingham, the ball could be moved only a matter of yards. Weird experience…" 

Clips of the goals from the game can now be found at: 

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheMowdog34/videos