Life Begins At 40 - 14th July
 Fairford boss Richard Hadgkiss is ready to grace the pitches of the Hellenic Premier Division again, a decade after helping Swindon Supermarine to the title.
Hadgkiss, pictured, watched on in frustration on Tuesday night as his team of youngsters raced into a 2-0 lead in the league opener against Old Woodstock only to succumb to inexperience and lose 3-2. With no funds to bring in a seasoned campaigner, the manager, who turns 40 this year, will consider a return to action to give the side some much-needed maturity.
He said in The Swindon Advertiser: “Tuesday was disappointing because we worked so hard to get into the position we were in but the communication was lacking. We’ve got a young team and some very, very quiet lads. Ideally we need an experienced leader out there but we haven’t got the money to bring anyone in. I can obviously offer them that, even if the legs aren’t what they used to be. We’ve got good squad numbers so I don’t think I’m needed at this stage but once the reserves get started, the squad gets stretched or it becomes obvious we need more experience out there, then I’ll be willing to play myself.”
Lydney are the visitors in today’s FA Cup extra preliminary round tie and, despite playing a rung lower on the non-league ladder, Hadgkiss is wary of the threat they pose. He added: “I’ve come across Lydney before and they are a strong and experienced side so we’re up against it in that respect.” Hadgkiss is likely to avoid the temptation of naming himself and should keep faith in the team that were unlucky to lose in midweek.
|
