The former Premier League striker and Weymouth and Salisbury manager has accepted an offer from his friend, Iain Sellstrom, chairman of Wessex League Division One outfit Fleetlands, to get back into management in an attempt to get his mojo back.
“It’s been a tough time, I have to admit,” said Claridge. “I lost the Salisbury job in, shall we say, unpleasant circumstances, and then my father died not long after. I was really hurting and needed a break from the game.
“At first when Iain phoned me to ask if I fancied coming and helping him out in some capacity, I wasn’t sure I wanted to move down to that level. He said I could take whatever role suited me – manager, director of football.
“Then I started to think about it and when I met with him and other people at the club, and saw what lovely people they were, it made a lot of sense.”
“I have been contacted about bigger jobs but the first thing was that I needed to stay local at this particular time without a lot of travel to training and games,” added the former Leicester City striker, who began his career with Portsmouth.
Denne historien er fra June 18, 2023-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
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Denne historien er fra June 18, 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.
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WRAGGY WILL BE SORELY MISSED
MACCLESFIELD FC have led the tributes to “colossal” former manager Peter Wragg, who has passed away.
BURY & RAMMY HIT BIG STAGE!
BRYANLY’S late penalty kept Bury top of the tree in front of another record-breaking crowd at Gigg Lane on Boxing Day.
BRAVE BERKO ARE ON TRACK
Ducks demolition maintains title tilt
OWLS THAT! CLEE GLEE ON TOP OF THE TREE
CLEETHORPES Town maintained their four-point lead at the top of NPL East with a hard-fought 2-1 derby win over North Ferriby at the Myenergi Stadium.
HAWKS SWOOP IN FOR DERBY GLORY
REUBEN AUSTIN hailed Havant & Waterlooville teammate Leon Maloney’s wonder goal as ‘a hell of a strike’ as the Hawks continued their promotion push with a 3-1 local derby success over Gosport Borough.
JULIUS DICTATES - BUT FANS MIST IT
JULUS Ndene handed Leek Town a famous victory in the mist – not that any of the fans got to see it!
GOLDEN BROWN BACK AT THE TOP
PHIL Brown gave his Kidderminster Harriers players Christmas off – and was rewarded with a climb to the top of the tree.
BRENNAN'S BOYS SALVAGED IN 'KAMIKAZE' YEAR END
STRAIGHT talking Dean Brennan lamented ‘kamikaze’ defending despite seeing his Barnet nick a dramatic late point to end 2024 at the National League summit.
FIVE-STAR PIRATES PUMMEL ROVERS
IN the final game of the year at the Ledger Stadium, second-placed Real Bedford faced off against fourth-placed Barton Rovers, who arrived as the league’s in-form side.
MOORE'S LATE GOAL SEALS BIG REDS WIN
GEORGE Moore was the hero grabbing a stoppage-time winner to sink Kingstonian and take Uxbridge to third in the table in what is becoming a fascinating promotion race in the Pitching-In Isthmian South Central.
