Chairman calls for Brindley to stay
Stafford Rangers chairman Jon Downing today threw his support behind Chris Brindley as the manager continues to consider his future.
Marston Road was rocked after being dumped out of the FA Cup to Midland Alliance opposition in the second qualifying round for the second season in a row, in a 3-2 replay defeat at home to Coventry Sphinx.
Brindley considered quitting after the game, but is expected to take the team for training tonight and for Saturday's league visit of Hinckley.
Now Downing has come out in support of his manager, insisting no-one at the club wants his 10-month reign to come to an end.
He said: "Chris will stay as manager as far as we are concerned, there is certainly no pressure from the board for him to leave. Lets look at the bigger picture, not just one result.
"I know Chris, he is very passionate and I should think he will back and firing on all cylinders at the weekend. In a way, I am glad he is hurting, but it shows the passion he has for this football club. It won't just roll off his shoulders.
"He really had the blues on Tuesday night, but I have spoken to him since then and we are alright. He is still our manager, he will take training tonight and will be in charge on Saturday."
Brindley has been in charge since last December, stepping up from assistant to then-manager Steve Bull with the club in financial strife.
He has survived the decimation of his playing squad, a relegation battle and a summer of rebuilding.
And his chairman believes his manager will go on to bring the club through the challenges ahead.
Downing said: "Chris has worked extremely hard for this club, regardless of results, and I have got nothing but admiration for him. We hit a crisis with the Steve Bull scenario, it wasn't a easy time for him to come in and he has helped us come through it. He has done nothing wrong in my eyes.
"I have to support him on this, the passion is riding high at the moment and we are really gutted as a club to be out of the cup. The manager wanted to win more than any of us. I was in the changing rooms that night and we were all up for it.
"But we missed our chances, lost the game and it happens. It's a competition."
