Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Brian Johnston has resigned at Armthorpe Welfare
Brian Johnston has resigned as manager of Armthorpe Welfare after over three years in charge.
Johnston has done extremely well to keep Armthorpe in the Premier Division during his reign, but the club’s difficult start to the new campaign has prompted his departure.
A statement said: “The job has taken its toll on Brian and has finally become too much to handle, especially when he has had extra pressure in his personal life recently. It was clear to see that Brian was becoming unhappy in his role and found it hard to find any enthusiasm, especially when we have had our worst start to a season in a long time. Therefore, in consultation with the committee, he has decided it is in the his own and in the club’s best interests that he resign.
“Brian is an all round good bloke and to see him gradually becoming more and more deflated was not nice. He has had a number of loyal players at the club who will be sad to see him go, and the committee and our supporters will also be sad that he has had to resign.
“However, it may just take something as drastic as this to try and turn our fortunes around and the time may be right for the change. It is business as usual at the club, and despite certain rumours circulating around the internet, there is no danger of the club folding. We will have no problem fulfilling our fixtures and assistant manager Tony Wigfull has been appointed caretaker manager, and will continue in the role until an emergency committee meeting is held to decide our next steps.
“Armthorpe Welfare FC would like to publicly place on record our sincere gratitude to Brian for the tireless hard work he has had to put in over the last three years. We are extremely grateful he has worked with such an understanding attitude and his legacy will be the stability he brought to the club following the resignation of long serving manager Des Bennett, that was quickly followed by Fortune-West before he had even been in the job a year. Brian will also be proud of the development of Joe Lumsden (now Stocksbridge Park Steels) and Jay Rollins (now Boston United) during his tenure. We hope Brian can go back to enjoying football again and leaves the club on good terms knowing he will be welcome at Church Street any time.”
The club have asked interested parties not to contact them until after a committee meeting in the next future.