All Change at Concord

I won't lie, I fell out of love with Concord Rangers during the 2017/2018 season.  I would rather watch the Premier League team I support play on TV, then go and watch Concord Rangers play.  That is the battle for all non-league teams I suppose, however a football team has to offer the paying fan a reason to attend.  That's something Concord didn't offer last season.  Don't get me wrong Concord had good players, they had proved it in the past seasons, but something wasn't working last season.  It was like Concord Rangers I knew was slowly dying, it needed urgent surgery.

Adam Flanagan was a nice man, but I think he will admit himself that it wasn't working at Concord. He needed to go, for the club's sake and quite possibly for his own sake.  I hope he does well at Dartford.

I was shocked to see Sammy Moore and Jack Midson turn up during the summer, I won't say I followed their progress at Leatherhead intently, but your interest is always piqued when young ex-pros decide to have a go at non-league management.  Especially more these days when League 1 and League 2 sides are more prepared to take a gamble on younger managers.  Non League football should always be seen as a springboard for aspiring player's and manager's.  You learn lessons in non-league football which will always stand you in good stead in the professional game.

Concord I felt as mentioned above, had good player's last season.  I was not expecting 99% of them to leave during the summer.  I don't mind saying that I still think that four or five of them would still have something to offer the club this season.  Something you have to get used to in non-league football is the constant turn over of playing staff, especially if you're operating with one of the lowest budgets in the league your operating in.  However without knowing the inside track, I felt a few of last season's players were dispensed with too quickly in the summer.

It's going to be weird watching an entirely new team start for Concord Rangers.  A little bit of me was thinking in the Summer is this still Concord Rangers? This isn't the Concord Rangers I fell in love with during the 2013/2014 season, but neither was the team last season. It had stagnated, I probably wasn't the only one of the volunteers who found it hard going.

A new season brings new optimism, I've been impressed with Sammy and Jack's interaction with the supporters, both are quite happy to discuss formations and playing style with us "expert football managers" after the game, something which I felt the previous manager failed to do.  Manager's don't have to do this of course, but if the fans feel engaged, they will keep the faith more and help the team, when the team needs them.

So what can Concord supporter's hope for next season?  Personally speaking, I want the team to make it fun to go to the football again.  Results aren't everything. Just show the fans that you've given everything you can every game. Anything else is a bonus.

#YAMC