An informal offer to help an old team-mate has led to the dramatic return of Simon Line as manager of Market Drayton Town, it was revealed yesterday.
The drama began when Line and Town’s present manager-goalkeeper Andy Pryce, chatted over a drink after Saturday’s match with Rushall Olympic.
Line said he wanted to get involved at Greenfields again - but only, he stressed, when Pryce thought the time was right, and then on the condition it was in whatever capacity Pryce and the club committee wanted.
It boiled down to: “Come back now - in your old job as manager with me as your assistant and Mick Murphy as coach.”
Pryce, who has done a great job stabilising Town after an alarming slide under a series of managers following Line’s departure, said: “I felt it was the sensible option for the club.
“It’s been a great privilege managing Market Drayton Town and I’m happy with what I’ve done - but I have a lot of work on my plate and I feel Simon can bring more to the job, especially after his experiences at Hednesford.”
Pryce’s suggested shake-up was backed by the club’s committee at an emergency meeting on Wednesday.
And Line said: “I can’t believe my luck. Thanks to Andy’s suggestion, I’m back where I belong.
“I left Town earlier in the season with considerable regret after seven years of hard work and success in helping build the club up to try my hand in a higher grade of football as manager of Hednesford.
“It was a chance I felt I had to take. Who wouldn’t?
“For all sorts of reasons, it didn’t work out. I did OK as far as results are concerned - the fans were pretty generous on their website when I left - and, yes, they are a bigger club than Drayton in almost all senses of that phrase.
“But in reality, sitting in a big board room, overlooking a smart pitch and a big stadium is not what I’m about.
“It’s the Draytons of this world - where people pull together - that guys like me belong. I’m absolutely delighted with being able to return - it’s great to be back.”
Line said he was looking forward to again working with Pryce.
The duo played together when Line first joined the club some seven years ago under the leadership of Lee Roberts and, despite some criticism about the suitability of a keeper captaining a side, Line later made Pryce him team leader.
Town coach Mick Murphy also welcomed Line back into the fold.
He said: “We’ve worked well together before and I’m sure we can do so again.
“If we can produce the levels of achievement we’ve done in the past, it will be great for everyone who wants Market DraytonTown to progress.”
Pryce, the archetypal clubman, only took on the role of manager after Town had appointed and lost a series of bosses without achieving much as players came and went in a bewildering and damaging merry-go-round of signings and departures.
Pryce remains in charge for tomorrow’s trip to Stamford and Tuesday’s home game against Cammell Laird (7.45pm ko.) Apart from Nicky Porter, out for around a week, Town have a full squad to choose from.
And Pryce would love to go out on a winning note.
“It would be nice to finish well as manager, especially against Cammell Laird, for they were the opposition for the first game I was in charge,” he said.
