Darren Hepworth looks back at a mad 72 hours for AFC Emley

By James Grayson (Twitter: @jamesAgrayson)
Last Saturday Darren Hepworth was out of work Non-League football manager.
Less than 24 hours earlier, he had been relieved of duties as manager of AFC Emley – a decision that would later cause a chain reaction of events.
But, as Emley, under the caretaker management of Joe Howson, made their way to Appleby Frodingham for their Toolstation NCEL Division One match, Hepworth was at loose end.
“I’m training for a marathon so I got some training in, but it was a pretty surreal day,” he said.
“I was totally lost on Saturday morning. It was the first time since I have been involved in football, as a player or coach, that when there is competitive football on a Saturday I have not been involved.
“I wondered around aimlessly in Leeds and got my haircut. It was a really tough day.”
Hepworth had been left “stunned” by the news that his two-and-a-half year reign had come to an end on the Friday morning. He was sacked by the chairman John Whitehead following a heated discussion about unspecified club matters at a meeting on the night before.
The Emley players, despite their anger over the decision, went to Appleby and won 4-0. Their fury had also been increased by the announcement that Whitehead had appointed an un-named manager.
Club captain Paul Sykes then revealed that he planned to retire from football in disgust at Hepworth’s dismissal.

Paul Sykes

On the Sunday morning Whitehead chose to resign which left vice-chairman and now interim chairman Terry Higgins to pick up the pieces and after he got the committee’s view, Hepworth received the call in the evening to say he had been reinstated.
Hepworth immediately started planning for Wednesday night’s trip to Bottesford Town and contacted his players to tell them the news – people who he greatly admires.
“The players have been credit to themselves and AFC Emley,” he said.
“They are a fantastic set of lads, committed and have a great attitude with regards learning. They have an abundance of talent and they’ll go places. If we can keep them together, we’ll only improve.
“Here at Emley we’re trying to get the best local talent and get that blend of experience and youth while trying to play attractive football as well trying to get out of this division.
“They could have turned around and said they weren’t playing for the club last week (at Appleby), but they’re far too professional for that. At the end of the day, they’re here to play for the shirt and they’re very proud to play for AFC Emley, you can see that in their performances.
“Last week they did a performance for AFC Emley and that’s what I expect.”
Whilst his players were delighted with the news of his return, Hepworth was taken aback by the response from the football community to his sacking and then reinstatement.
“The reaction from both within the club and outside of it was overwhelming,” he said.
“It reminds you of two things: one how important AFC Emley is as a football club and the feeling within it was unbelievable from the supporters. Football as a family and a sport and in non-league football is a close thing and I had great support.
“My phone was melting first of all on the Friday and then on Sunday when the club announced I had been reinstated. I think the telephone company will be appreciative of my bill.
“It was pandemonium on the phone.”

Hepworth made his return to management at Bottesford where his team were beaten 4-0. Emley responded by thrashing Grimsby Borough 7-2 yesterday afternoon.
Promotion-chasing Emley are fifth in the Division One table and Hepworth retains the faith of the committee, but he admits there is a bigger picture at the Welfare Ground.
“Things started to develop on the Sunday and quite clearly the club were trying to sort things out when the chairman announced his resignation,” he said.
“The club had to make a decision on how it was going to move forwards and obviously the committee decided the best thing right now was to try and get stability with the current management team.
“They could have done that (appointed the un-named manager). There were obviously a number of options that the committee had.
“I’m just glad I was reunited with my management team and able to carry on the hard work we are doing as a project – something we are a long way from completing.
“It is not just about the first team here and that’s the important thing. This is about building a club and an infrastructure that is sustainable for the next 20 years, not the next two.
“The under 19s and our Development Squad going into the Lancashire League this season are massively important steps forward for the club.”
And while Hepworth and the former chairman Whitehead clashed on club matters, the Emley manager still retains maximum respect for him.
“With respect to matters off-the-field, it has been clearly a challenging time for the club, but I would rather focus on John Whitehead, the previous chairman,” he added.
“He has done a fantastic job for this football club and without him I don’t think there would be an AFC Emley. He was a big reason why I came here.
“Unfortunately football being football, it has a habit of changing and all I can say really is that John has taken a personal decision to move on and in and amongst that, there was a bit of toing and throwing with me.
“The one thing I will make clear is that the priority has always been AFC Emley, whether through John, myself or the committee. We have always the best interests of the club at heart and as much as that was quite disruptive on the face of it, at no point did anybody not act in the best interests of the club. I respect that, and I respect that of John and the committee.”