A certain non league boss wins the Manager of the Month award for August despite serving a stadium ban, and it’s got plenty talking.
Seventh-tier English side Kingstonian saw their manager Hayden Bird honoured with the ‘Manager of the Month’ by the FA-run league – despite being banned from his own club’s ground.
In their unbeaten start to the new campaign, they have scored nine goals and conceded just twice to win four out of four, and recently won their FA Cup clash 8-1 – however the boss has not been on the touchline due to a stadium ban from the Football Association.
But organisers of the Isthmian Premier Division, run under the auspices of England’s football governing body, decided to nominate Bird for August’s ‘Manager of the Month’ award.
CLUB STATEMENT:
Hayden Bird and his management team secure the prize for the opening month of the season.
Congratulations to Hayden Bird, Jamie Howell, Kevin D’Arcy and all of the Kingstonian management team, as Hayden has been nominated as the Vita Risk Solutions Premier Division Manager of the Month for August 2021.
Despite the logistical problem of not being allowed into a stadium thanks to a “disagreement” with the Football Association, Hayden’s work and organisation helped K’s to a four match winning streak to begin the season, with wins coming against Haringey Borough and Hornchurch at home, whilst Bishop’s Stortford and Corinthian-Casuals were defeated away.
Awards for other divisions went to the now-retired Jim Cooper of Grays Athletic (happy retirement, Jim! One of the best.) for the North Division, Daniel Brownlie of Basingstoke Town for the South Central Division and finally Shaun Saunders of Haywards Heath Town in the South East Division.
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When the news was revealed on the club’s social media channels, fans were left baffled but also laughing at the bizarre situation.
@mattcarlin12: Hayden’s frauded this 🤣🤣 not even managed a league game yet
@dh5603: Not even allowed into your home ground that’s not even yours, brilliant 🤣
@RichardP_HTFC: When @FootballManager feels more real than real life
@david_gipp: Tell me football ain’t gone mad 😄
@Ollie_Underwood: My Gaffer 😍😍😂😂
@nickcroom: Bonus marks for another division giving it to a manager who then retired on 30 August.
Michael Ian: Nice job gaffer all in abstentia
Neil Carlin: Well deserved Hayden
Dave Acton: Well done gaffer
Bird is currently managing his second season at Kingstonian, having moved from Merstham two years ago – and the Isthmian League’s website described the ‘Manager of the Month’ award for the suspended boss as ‘much deserved’.
Non league boss wins Manager of the Month award despite serving stadium ban
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE STATEMENT:
We re-introduce our sponsor, and announce the winners of the first Manager of the Month Awards of the new season
That’s one month of the season over, and what a month it was. We’re honouring some fine managers for their work, so eyes down, look in, and applaud loudly.
Premier Division
Kingstonian have started the season in top form, with four wins from four- defeating Haringey Borough, Bishop’s Stortford, Hornchurch and Corinthian-Casuals. We don’t take cup matches into account, but given they scored eight goals in an FA Cup replay on Wednesday night they’ve been no slouches there, either! Our prize goes to K’s boss Hayden Bird, and is much deserved.
North Division
The winner of our August award is a manager no longer, and we’re very sad indeed to see him go but extremely grateful for his efforts as an Isthmian Manager over many years. Jim Cooper went out on a high, with his Grays Athletic side top of the Pitching In Isthmian North Division table with a one hundred percent record, after wins over Bury Town, Basildon United and Aveley saw them score eleven goals and concede only two.
We’ll miss you Jim, but we’re sending you a prize to remember us by! Have a wonderful retirement.
South Central Division
We have some new South Central kids in town, and Basingstoke Town have taken to the Pitching In Isthmian League like Emma Raducanu has to the US Open, defeating everyone who has come up against them with barely a shrug of the shoulders. So far Binfield, Hanwell Town and Thatcham Town have been conquered, and we haven’t even mentioned their two FA Cup wins. These triumphs have been masterminded by boss Daniel Brownlie, who picks up a well-deserved honour for August.
South East Division
Haywards Heath Town have already picked up our goalkeepers award, but why have only one prize when you can have two? Manager Shaun Saunders has masterminded three wins from three in the Pitching In Isthmian South East Division- wins which will have delighted the Hanbury Park support because two of them came against local rivals Burgess Hill Town and East Grinstead Town. Sevenoaks Town were their other victims. Congratulations to Shaun, a man who has picked up so many trophies during his managerial career that he’ll probably need to find some extra shelf space.
Vita Risk Solutions came on board as our new sponsors of the Manager of the Month Awards at the start of last season, which came to an end almost as soon as it started. The company offer insurance cover for all risks, and we’re extremely grateful to them for their support.
With over 15 years’ experience in insurance, the aim of Vita Risk Solutions is to provide a comprehensive service to look after all your insurance needs.
They offer a wide range of insurance products:
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Simply contact them on 01273 980 289, email them on info@itarisksolutions.co.uk, or visit their website www.vitarisksolutions.co.uk and they’ll be delighted to help ensure you get exceptional insurance cover.
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