THINK Eastbourne and you picture the glorious British summer. Beach huts, deckchairs, eating fish ‘n’ chips amid gloomy skies on the promenade. The perfect family getaway.
A little under the mile from the seafront lies another little gem in this part of East Sussex. Tidy, well-kept, yet understated, Eastbourne Borough’s humble Priory Lane is your archetypal community safe haven on a Saturday afternoon and a favourite with groundhoppers everywhere.
But enter ambitious local entrepreneur, public speaker, author and life coach Simon Leslie and suddenly the makeup and dynamic of the National League South club has changed almost beyond recognition.
Acquiring the majority shareholding of the club, Leslie, on his website, says he is “on a mission to bring world-class football teams to Eastbourne” – and he is certainly starting to make his mark.
A new, exciting full-time model and “data-driven approach” was suddenly implemented, although to the detriment of successful manager Danny Bloor, who was let go after three-and-a-half years in charge of Sports.
In his place came Mark Beard, who had overseen similar evolution in seven years along the coast at Brighton & Hove Albion and was plying his trade in the National League as Marc White’s first team coach at Dorking Wanderers.
“It all happened very quickly, a bit of a whirlwind really” Beard told The NLP. “My brother phoned me to tell me about the vacancy so, after getting permission from Marc, I threw my name in.
Denne historien er fra July 02, 2023-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 02, 2023-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
SHAKERS REVEL IN MAKING HISTORY
DAVE McNabb says Bury's FA Cup heroes are proud to be writing their own chapters in club history.
WILCOX: WE FEEL COMPLETE WITH WIN
RUSS WILCOX'S verdict after watching his Gainsborough Trinity side outmuscle and outplay their hosts was that it was \"probably our most complete performance\".
CRACKER BY KABIA TOPPLES TUDORS!
ASSISTANT boss Stewart Yetton said his Truro City side were good value for their win over table-toppers Hemel Hempstead Town.
BRAKES PUT STOP ON BORO BATTLERS
SEPARATED only by goal difference before kick-off, these sides remain neck and neck in the embryonic table after playing out 90 minutes in the October sunshine that was a great advert for the division.
BOSS COTT'S GOT A REALLY GOOD THING WITH ROVERS
STEVE Cotterill hailed Forest Green Rovers’ first class performance as they produced a spirited comeback to topple fellow high-flyers Eastleigh at the Silverlake Stadium.
SKIPS STEER HEED'S SHIP
GATESHEAD captains of the past and present are playing a lead role in helping the National League club move on from the departure of FA Trophy-winning manager Rob Elliot.
FA CUP PREVIEW: SWEET! 'DREAM' DRAW IS CHANCE OF OUR LIFETIME
DAVE NORTHFIELD says minnows Biggleswade FC were like 'kids in a sweet shop' when they drew out York City in what he describes as the 'draw of a lifetime'.
PARKER'S HEART IS STILL AT HOME
FORMER England right-back Paul Parker has revealed he would never completely rule out a return to management – but says he would only do so for one of his beloved local clubs.
LOCALS RALLY TO REBUILD BRIDGE
WHEN committee members at Bamber Bridge set out to raise £30,000 to protect the club's future, they were apprehensive about the response they'd get.
RUTHLESS BEES FIND THEIR FEET
ASTERLING second-half performance resulted in league leaders Barnet brushing aside a Boston United outfit that led at the interval through Keaton Ward’s early strike.