New Soham Town Rangers chairman Michael Firek wants step 4 football in next three years
New Soham Town Rangers chairman Michael Firek has outlined a three- year goal to take the Julius Martin Lane outfit back to Step 4 of the non-league pyramid.
The 41-year-old took over at the club’s AGM last week, after the departure of Mark Goldsack, and is joined by two vice chairs in Scott Fretwell and his brother Sean Firek.
Last week also saw manager Brett Whaley, who only started his tenure in the Soham dugout back in May, leave the club by mutual consent.
“Unfortunately, in the last couple of years it’s been going in the wrong direction for the first team and we need to turn that around,” said Firek.
“We’ve lost Brett, and we give a huge amount of thanks to him, but it’s given us an opportunity to start with a fresh approach to that first team management.
“Our aims with regards to the football is to turn that around. This season is going to be tough with the way things have gone but we look at that and say what we are looking for is a longer term improvement to first team successes.
“I’m quite happy to say that within the next three years I want us to be back in Step 4. It’s where I feel we belong and hopefully we can push on from there.”
The hunt for a new manager is already under way, but it is a decision that Firek and his committee have said they will not rush into.
The Greens are undergoing their second consecutive campaign in the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division after 14 seasons at Step 4.
Last term they finished 15th in the standings and currently find themselves in 17th place this season, so the next managerial appointment is one they know they must get right.
“We’re going through a formal process for the recruitment of first team manager. An advert went out on Friday last week and we will close that tomorrow. We anticipate a lot of interest,” said Firek.
“We are really hopeful of appointing someone who can achieve our vision. This isn’t a sticking plaster appointment. This needs to be someone who has the skills, experience and desire to see this through and we see it as a long-term appointment.”
The new manager at the helm at Julius Martin Lane will be set short-term targets that will ‘change the fortunes of the first team’.
Not in action last weekend, Soham Town Rangers will have players Sam Spencer and Lee Chaffey in the dugout on Saturday for their home match against Woodbridge Town (3pm).
The fixture will mark one of many community days held by the club, where adults can pay £5 and children can enter for free to watch their game against the Premier Division’s 11th-placed outfit.
One of the other goals set by Firek is to maintain the community work achieved by former chairman Goldsack and make sure the club remains unified with the fans.
“I really hope this new wave of enthusiasm that comes with a change of leadership at the club really catches on with the community and we get people in that haven’t been in to see us recently, or been before.” said Firek.
