YOU don’t need to tell anyone at North Ferriby United how quickly things change in football. So, you can save your breath in pointing that out to new manager Steve Housham.
“You’re telling me!” he said after taking charge of the Villagers last week. “Suddenly my phone has come to life and I’m someone people want to speak to again. Nobody wanted to know this time last week!”
The last month or so has taken on a soap opera theme for all involved. First came Ferriby’s promotion to Non-League‘s top flight, something boss Billy Heath has been working towards for years and something the club could have only dreamed of, playing in the Northern Counties East League at the turn of the millennium. Then came Heath’s resignation.
He hadn’t been offered a massive higher-level opportunity, but chose to drop back into the division he’d worked so tirelessly to get out of after replacing Jim Harvey at FC Halifax.
And, to cap off the head-scratching, the new man – who has been charged with keeping them in the National League – is a manager deemed surplus to requirements at Gainsborough Trinity back in February.
“I was sacked a week after my 40th birthday,” he added. “Since then, I have been volunteering delivering parcels to keep myself busy. I’m helping a friend out really, but all of a sudden I’m back in business and I have to build a squad good enough to try to stay up.
Upheaval
“I’ve been in the wilderness really and I’m just thankful the owners decided to take a chance on me. It’s an opportunity.
“I was down when I left Gainsborough. It was my first setback in 25 years in the game. Things go through your head. Social media doesn’t help – and some of the things that were said did really hurt – but what I’ve learned is that you’ve got to be strong enough to cope.”
Talent and workrate are also required in the National League. North Ferriby, thanks to the early summer upheaval, will be one of the favourites to go down – something Housham, who spent five years at Trinity, accepts is his priority now.
“It’s a massive task, massive,” he said. “But what I liked when I met the owners was that they are realistic. If we finish the season fifth from bottom there will be a bigger party than when the club won promotion last month!
“Our budget will be very, very low and it’s up for debate, but we are probably the smallest club to ever be in the top flight of Non-League football.
“All we can do is give this our best shot. It’s going to be a big challenge – every game isn’t going to be a cup final for us, it’s going to be a World Cup final!”
