Axed Hume disappointed after Matlock Town departure

The 36-year-old lost his job this week after a poor run of form that saw Matlock end the season with just two wins from the last 16 matches, both of those against already-relegated Ramsbottom United.

After taking over in January 2015 following the departures of joint bosses Martin Foster and Dave Rushbury, Hume guided the Gladiators to safety by the end of that campaign but was unable to mastermind any significant progress this time around.

Matlock chairman Tom Wright said the decision was not an easy one to make but that recent form had dictated a change was required.

He said: “Mark came in and did really well in keeping us in the division and winning the Derbyshire Senior Cup in 2014/15.

“This season started promisingly but since Christmas people felt we had not made the progress we would have liked and two wins in 16 league matches, both against the relegated bottom cllub, is obviously not good enough.

“These kinds of decisions are never easy nor nice to make. I’d like to thank Mark and his staff for all of their hard work and wish them all the best in their future careers.”

Hume told the Mercury that he was disappointed to have left the club and that he felt he had done the best job he could.

He said: “I’m a bit disappointed in the timing as it’s a big time between the end of the season and where we are now and I’ve been making lots of plans for the next campaign. I feel if this was going to happen then it could have been done right at the end of the season.

“Admittedly we’ve had a poor run of form in the second half of the season but with the budget I was working with I feel the league position was about right. You can probably say that about most clubs in this division, perhaps with the exception of Frickley who I think were the only club that over-achieved in that sense.

“I had a good group of players and felt I could have got another good group together in the summer, but it’s been my first managerial job and a good experience and I wish people at the club well in the future.”

Meanwhile, one of Hume’s last acts as manager was to present a number of the awards at the Gladiators presentation evening last Friday.

Defender Adam Yates was an overwhelming winner of the Matlock Mercury-sponsored Supporters Player of the Year.

Runner up in the fans’ poll was Niall McManus, who was named as the club’s Young Player of the Year for the second successive season. The Young Player award was sponsored by Robertson Construction (England) Limited.

Players’ Player of the Year went equally overwelmingly to full-back Micky Harcourt who was presented with a watch supplied by C W Sellors Jewellers. Club official Steven Greenhough again sponsored the Leading Goalscorer trophy, won by Joel Purkiss who netted 18 times.

Clubperson of the Year was kit manager Keith Travis for his outstanding contribution not only this term but in previous seasons in preparing the kit and transporting it to games before arranging the washing afterwards, while also assisting with duties on ther bench on matchday.

Josh Middleton won the academy Players’ Player of the Year award while the coaches award went to Ewan Snow and Most Improved Player to Elliot Hitchcock. Middleton and Max Marshall won Academy Work awards.

Matt Wilkinson cleared the board for the reserve team, winning the Player of the Year, Players’ Player and top goalscorer trophies.