Gwent | Archive | 2002 | September | 4
From the South Wales Argus, first published Wednesday 4th Sep 2002.
COLIN Addison said goodbye to Newport County to take up the managerial reigns at Conference basement-boys Forest Green Rovers last night and insisted: "It's an opportunity I couldn't resist." The veteran, who quit as Tim Harris' assistant at Dr Martens Premier League County as exclusively revealed in the Argus yesterday, admitted he understood why County fans are livid by his departure just two months after he took the job.
The 62-year-old, whose managerial career spans 30 years, said: "It's just one of those things. "The job was one I couldn't resist. I know the club well and their chairman Trevor Horsley is a very good friend of mine.
"I know Tim and the fans are disappointed, and I can understand why. I enjoyed my short stay back at Newport but I did think long and hard before taking the Forest Green job.
"They are bottom of the Conference, but I never take the easy jobs and never shirk a challenge" Rovers chief Horsley sacked Nigel Spink on Saturday night after Forest Green lost their fifth game on the trot leaving them floundering on the bottom of the Nationwide Conference, having scored only one goal.
When Addison arrived at Newport Stadium in July he revealed Football League and European clubs had been after his services but decided to accept Harris' offer to work as his No 2.
But many County fans have accused Addison of using County as a stop-gap between jobs and taking the first managerial offer that came along.
However, Addison insisted: "In the summer I had offers to work in Spain and Turkey but I turned them down and decided to join County.
"I didn't, and still don't, want to move abroad or move away from my Hereford home and Forest Green (based in Stroud) is not that far from me."
Addison, formerly boss at Derby County, Celta Vigo and Atletico Madrid, has wished County well. "I have a lot of friends in Newport," he said. "And I wish them all the best and hope they succed in bringing Nationwide Football back to Newport.
"And in Tim Harris they have got a manager to be proud of, he's a great person and a good boss."
© Newsquest Media Group 2008