Kirkley & Pakefield chairman will not rush managerial decision
Kirkley & Pakefield's outgoing managment team Andy Reynolds and Jamie Godbold. Picture: Nick Butcher - Credit: Nick Butcher
Kirkley & Pakefield have 'three or four' candidates to fill the boots of departing management team Jamie Godbold and Andy Reynolds.
The Royals confirmed in a brief statement that Godbold and his assistant Reynolds would be leaving to take up new positions at Ryman League North side AFC Sudbury, succeeding former Wroxham boss David Batch, who has joined St Neots. Godbold will be responsible for all first team matters but will be mentored and work closely with director of football Danny Laws.
Godbold left Lowestoft Town to take on his first managerial post at Kirkley in May, 2013, taking goalkeeper Reynolds with him, and between them they have steered the Royals into fourth place in the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division.
Kirkley chairman Robert Jenkerson said yesterday the pair departed with the club's good wishes.
'Obviously we are disappointed to see them go, because in a relatively short space of time they did an excellent job,' he said.
'But they go with our best wishes.
'We have never stood in the way of anyone's development or progression – we wouldn't dream of it – and they are going to a team that plays at a higher level and which has ambitions of going further.'
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Marty Hubble will take training this week and, with Harry Goldspink, will oversee first team affairs, but Jenkerson says there is no need to rush in replacements.
'We have three or four very good candidates in the frame and we won't be rushing into making an appointment,' he said. 'We are in a good position, we have experienced people at the club to carry out team selection. We have a lot of things going on at the club and we want to make sure we have the best fit.
'We made a conscious decision that we would go forward with people who wanted to come to the club and play for the club and work with our youth set-up. We wanted to develop our own people, and that is what has happened. We started that up with our previous manager, Paul Tong, and Jamie and Andy really pushed things on, throughout the club, not just the first team but the four senior teams and the youth teams.'
The move to Sudbury is a step-up for Godbold, but Jenkerson has no doubt he can make it a success.
'I think he certainly will be,' he said. 'He has all the ability and talent and let's face it, he has played football at a good level for most of his career. I think he will do very well.'
