LEE'S READY AS TUDORS TUTOR

LEE ALLINSON believes a tough Non-League management upbringing has equipped him for his Hemel Hempstead Town challenge.

- Matt Badcock

The 39-year-old has plenty of National League South experience as assistant manager to dad Ian at St Albans City.

While the Tudors will be his first No.1 job at Step 2, Allinson has emerged as one of Non-League’s brightest young managers with time at Biggleswade Town before five years in charge of Hendon, who have punched above their weight in the league and last season knocked Oldham Athletic out of the FA Trophy.

And Allinson says his route to this point has taught him a lot.

“I’ve had to do it the hard way to come through to where I’ve got to today,” Allinson told The NLP. “Maybe that was my payback for being a player that was lazy! I’ve had to work extremely hard. Nothing has been given to me.

“But I think that sometimes humbles you and makes you understand what you need because you haven’t got loads of money so you have to develop people, develop players and you have to get the right characters to the football club.