Yeltz boss ignoring turmoil
Halesowen manager Martin O'Connor has ordered his players to blank out the uncertainty over the club's future and focus on their challenge for the play-offs.
O'Connor was an interested observer this week as departing chairman Nigel Pitt and his fellow directors laid their cards on the table over the future of the Yeltz.
But the manager has told his players not to get involved in behind-the-scenes politics, although he has admitted the club needs to stabilise to stay on an even keel on the field.
"Stability is the key word I think and for the last couple of weeks since the chairman made his statement it has affected the club," said O'Connor.
"We have tried to concentrate on our football rather than debate things or demand answers because all we can do is try to make the club an attractive proposition for investment by winning games.
"That's the only thing I can affect really."
And O'Connor is confident he and his players can keep their minds on the job despite the fact the club is up for sale.
He insisted the situation had not even been discussed among the first team squad. He said: "Believe it or not the players aren't too aware of what's going on because I only really found out at the weekend.
"There is nothing more we can do until the chairman pulls me to one side and actually tells me what the facts of the situation are.
"I want to keep the players away from that until such time as they have to be told.
"I want to take on this on behalf of the players because if we detract from where we want to be our focus might be taken in other directions.
"We want to be totally focused on the games.
"The situation at the moment affects the long-term aims of the football club but the aims that we set out for the future in the summer are exactly the same now.
"We want to improve on last season. We finished sixth last season and we want to get better than that this year."
Yeltz fans were warned they will not survive in the top flight of the Southern League unless they find a new investor to replace departing chairman Pitt.
Director Mark Serrell, who is also quitting at the end of the season, told a meeting of fans: "I am asking people whether they want to be at this level because they cannot sustain it without extra investment.
"We are appealing to supporters, business people and they people of Halesowen to help.
"It's not our club, it's their club. Naturally the club will find its level. If income goes down then the playing budget goes down and the results of that are obvious."
