Striker faces spell out
Devastated Stourbridge striker Rob Taylor is facing a long spell on the sidelines after suffering another cruciate ligament injury.
Devastated Stourbridge striker Rob Taylor is facing a long spell on the sidelines after suffering another cruciate ligament injury.
The 27-year-old forward had just recovered from 18 months out of the game when he broke down in training this week.
He is now facing the prospect of more reconstructive surgery and more painstaking rehabilitation before he can think about playing again.
Glassboys boss Gary Hackett said everyone at the club sympathised with the stricken forward.
"It is a real blow for us and for Rob too. It is the last thing we wanted to happen," Hackett said.
"Rob has worked really hard to get himself back into good shape and we were hoping he would play a big part this season.
"But this has happened and he's looking at a long spell on the sidelines now.
"He snapped his ligaments last Thursday in training and to be honest it was a really innocuous incident - there was no-one near him and he just turned and caught his leg.
"There must have been a bit of a residual weakness there that has caused it.
"It has put a bit of dampener on things and we're all feeling very sorry for him.
"He's only a young lad and he's missed a lot of football already so he was hoping to get back in among the thick of things this season.
"It is a shame because before his injuries I think Rob was probably the best striker in the Midland Alliance."
Meanwhile, Hackett is hoping a return to the Memorial Ground will spark a revival in the Glassboys' fortunes.
Three defeats on their travels represent a nightmare start to the league campaign but Stourbridge are back on home soil next week.
The Glassboys have to play their first three games away from home every year because they share with Stourbridge CC - and Hackett accepts it as a necessary downside of being the club's manager.
"We have been living a bit of a nomadic existence at the moment - we've been training at Halesowen Rugby ground because the ground is being used at the moment," he said.
"It does cause us a few problems every year but when you become Stourbridge manager you know that is what you have to cope with.
"It is hard on the new players in particular.
"But we're not going to use it as an excuse for our start to the season.
"Overall our performances haven't actually been that bad but we do have to start winning games again."
