Northern League
Rudy Funk says Pickering Town have a bright future in front of them despite their struggles so far this season.
The former Scarborough Athletic chief is two weeks into the job having won the race to replace Steve Roberts.
The Pikes are fourth-bottom but the ever-optimistic Funk says he has inherited a decent squad which is capable of getting results.
“Steve assembled a good group of players,” Funk told No League Yorkshire.
“I’ve had a couple of training sessions and I’m absolutely delighted with them.
“With a bit of tweaking here and there and one-or-two coming in, we’ll have a decent side.
“I will also say that Pickering will go places because that’s the way I am.
“I am a positive person and I will make Pickering a sound club.
“We’ll be ok but it won’t happen overnight.
“I don’t want to make any predictions (about where we will finish this season) but the aim for me is for when people come to Pickering they know they are in a game.
“When people came to Scarborough (when I was in charge) they had lost the game already.
“I remember the days when Tadcaster were really on the hop and you would go to Tadcaster and you knew you were struggling there.
“That’s what I want to create at Pickering so people come and they know they don’t get much change.”
His appointment marked a return to North Yorkshire, eight years after his departure from Scarborough who he guided to the NCEL Premier Division title in 2013.
“Pickering was a big attraction because as you know I was in North Yorkshire for some time and I’ve enjoyed it there and I liked the people,” he said.
“With Scarborough we had some fantastic games with Bridlington and obviously Pickering and surrounding clubs like Tadcaster and so on.
“When the job the became available it was a straight-forward answer.
“I met the chairman (Wayne Taylor) and we hit it off.
“I’m absolutely over the moon because it is a club who are well-organised behind the scenes and they have fantastic and hard-working people.
“As a manager I can’t wish for more because everything is in place.”
Many probably expected Pickering to appoint a North East-based manager as the crux of Roberts’ troubles was difficulties recruiting from that region.
Funk is unfazed by the fact he has never managed in the league.
“Over 22 years, even at Rainworth and Teversal, in the FA Cup and FA Vase, I’ve faced nearly every single team in the Northern League,” he said.
“I know the in’s and out’s.
“I also have three or four hardcore players who have played in the Northern League all their lives.
“It doesn’t matter to me.”
Tony Hackworth, Funk’s former captain at Scarborough, will assist him and Funk is delighted his ex-player is at his side.
“It was quite emotional,” he said.
“I had him at Scarborough and he’s one of many I idolised.
“To have him alongside me along with Mark Barber and Ged Dalton…it is a great group of people who I’m privileged to work with.”
Pickering have a crunch clash at bottom-placed Seaham Red Star on Saturday.
Both sides need the points but Funk is not regarding it as a must-win.
“Obviously they are rooted to the bottom of the league and there must be a reason why,” he said.
“I think the game will be a tough game.
“It will be a very tight.
“I don’t buy that it is a big one.
“Anyone who has been in the game a long time will tell you that the time you start worrying is after Christmas and March-time if you’re still down there.
“At the moment it is early days and we have played 11 games.”