Former Rotherham Utd Ladies manager Paul Durrands, who stepped down at the end of this amazing season, leaves us with his final words……
“Midland Combination Womens League Champions 2006-2007 sounds good to me.
We created history as being the only club in the Midland Combination league ever to go through the entire season unbeaten.
I
am so proud of myself and I cannot praise the girls enough for what
they have achieved and I think it’ll be a long time before another club
aspires to this level again, within the realms of this league.
I
took over the running of the team a year ago with my own self impose
remit of winning the league at the first attempt, and we did.
This was a massive challenge to me, the biggest of my football managers career, but I was “up for it” right from the beginning.
I
was very single minded in my quest for promotion and set my stall out
right from the start but it was not the way it was done in the past and
therefore was not to the liking of everyone.But the “proof was in the
pudding”.
I
knew the girls well from watching them for a couple of years earlier
and so I had a head start on them as I already understood their
weaknesses and strengths.
I
knew I could take them further up the leagues ladder and into the
National League I just needed for them to understand what I wanted out
of them and for them to understand just how I wanted to get this from
them.
For
me to get the best out of the girls I had to change the personnel,
certain parts of the training, and their playing system completely, in
fact it was total re-education that took place.
I turned the playing side of the club completely upside down and so the resulting season was astounding in itself.
I
wanted the girls to understand that there was more to football than
just scoring more goals than the opposition and that the mental and
psychological side of football are just as important.
I
have been in a manager for 15 years at all levels from boys, youth,
mens, mens sem-pro and now six years in womens football. I have
achieved a lot in my time but I can say without a shadow of doubt that
this seasons champaign has been the most satisfying, the most memorable
and the most rewarding I have ever had.
I
am proud of what I have achieved in my one year at Rotherham and I must
say that I am also very proud to have been the manager of these girls
for this most dramatic and historic season.It
was a very heart wrenching decision, which wasn’t taken lightly, to
leave the club after such a fantastic season, but that’s life.
Due
to extra work commitments I just couldn’t commit myself to the club as
the time needed for this new season would be enormous.The extra training sessions each week and the weekend matches, just would be beyond my reach.
If I lived in Rotherham and not in Grantham, Lincs. as I do, there wouldn’t be a problem.
I had to make a decision that was best for me and my wife and I’m sorry to say, it meant I had to leave.
I have left the team in a very sound position and I wish the new manager all the luck in the world.
He
or she is taking over a grand bunch of girls, and if they’re looked
after properly, but firm, and given a chance, they’ll reward the
manager I’m sure.”
Leave a Reply