IAN ALLINSON has quit as manager of Vanarama National League Boreham Wood following the club’s move to day-time training.
Allinson had been at Wood for seven years and took the club from the Ryman Premier to Non-League‘s top flight in his second spell in charge.
Fifth from bottom in the National League, Wood moved to day-time training in order to “survive and prosper”.
However, following Saturday’s 2-0 home win over Welling United, former Arsenal player Allinson has stepped down with the club’s new commitments clashing with his job at Carlsberg.
“This is a decision that I haven’t taken lightly,” he said. “I have thought long and hard about this over the last few weeks before coming to the realisation that the new training schedule wasn’t allowing me to manager the team to the level of my expectations.
“This is not a retirement, I still have plenty of fight in me and want to carry on with new challenges and hope to continue the success I have had over the last 25 years as a manager.
“I am extremely proud of what I have achieved in the past seven and a half years at Boreham Wood. As when I took over the club for the second time, they had just been relegated to the Ryman North Division before being given a reprieve.
“I would like to go on record to personally thank the chairman Danny Hunter for not only his support as a chairman but also as a very close friend, I am sure this friendship will continue for many years to come.”
Hunter added: “In truth I was at first stunned by Ian’s resignation as it genuinely wasn’t something that I saw coming. The transition from evening to day-time training though difficult, had seemed to go as well as could be expected.
“The players and management team including Ian, were in the main all very much in favour of the change. However in hindsight and hindsight is a funny thing, Ian felt with the new training programme, that he was not in control and simply felt he was on the outside looking in.
“We have built a lasting friendship away from the football club, because we liked each other’s company, That’s led to so many wonderful memories, whether that be our promotions, our cup successes, the club vacations, family nights out or seeing our kids getting married, just so many special moments.
“I knew this league would be intense but it is perhaps harder than either myself or Ian had imagined. Financially it’s certainly at a new level but for me the challenge is to prove the doubters wrong and after just 16 games it’s still a buzz to be playing at a National level.
“I am enjoying the fact we are an underdog club trying to succeed at a new level and it makes the challenge even more appealing.
“With Ian’s departure, I now have an obligation to look forward, to work harder for my staff, my club and our small band of very loyal supporters.
“These people know I won’t quit on them and have backed me superbly over the last seventeen seasons. Our progress without Ian must continue or all the good work we have achieved together, will go down the pan but with our infrastructure already built and in place, I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
