By Matt Badcock
Craig McAllister knows Gosport Borough played their Get out of Jail Free card last season – but the new boss says it’s time to put the past to bed.
The Hampshire club were beneficiaries of the FA’s restructuring which meant only one side went down from each Step 3 division.
Beleaguered by mismanagement off the pitch, the 2014 FA Trophy finalists have had a torrid few seasons and finished second bottom of the EVO-STIK Southern Premier after winning just five times and shipping 142 goals.
Now under the ownership of former Portsmouth chairman Iain McInnes, former Crawley Town, Eastleigh and Sutton United striker McAllister, who will be assisted by Non-League goal-getter Matt Tubbs, feels the future can finally be brighter.
“I’ve got to build an identity at this football club,” the 38-year-old player-manager told The NLP. “One thing I’ve said to people is I don’t care about what’s happened in the past, I’m really not interested. I’m not going to use it as an excuse.
“It’s about building something now – me and Tubbsy will try our hardest to get this right. The potential of the club is there. They were fighting at the top end of the Conference South for a couple of years and look where they are now.
“Let’s not beat about the bush, they got a lifeline last season. Normally the club would have been relegated but luckily it was one.
Understanding
“Things weren’t quite right here last year but we won’t worry about that, we’re moving on and we’ll make sure we’re not in that position this coming season.”
McAllister had two spells at Gosport last season with a stint at Blackfield & Langley sandwiched between.
Former Crawley team-mate Tubbs, fresh from helping Havant & Waterlooville to National League South title glory, has arrived with him and McAllister is looking forward to striking up a fearsome partnership again.
“I’m looking at it as us bringing in a breath of fresh air,” McAllister said. “I’ll slowly come away from the playing depending on who we can get in to take my place.
“Tubbsy has still got three years in him easily. His record speaks for itself. I was with him at Crawley and he’s a goalscorer, a fox in the box. It’s down to me and him to get this team playing in a certain way to create chances for him. When he gets them, nine times out of ten he will put the ball in the net.”
McAllister is looking forward to transferring the telepathic understanding on the pitch to off it, too.
“He’s a good coach and a top professional,” McAllister said. “I’ve known him for 12 years. People always said when you’re an assistant and a manager you have great relationships and that’s what we’ve got.
“I’m sure we will disagree now and then but that’s part of it. I want him to be challenging me and me challenging him. We’ll be on the phone a lot – my missus said I might as well be married to him! My phone hasn’t stopped the last few days but we’re looking forward to it.”
*This article originally featured in The @NonLeaguePaper which is available every Sunday and Monday
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