Coaching set up nearly complete

Stevenage expect to name their new complete management team by the end of the week. The first team coach position was said to have been offered to someone a few weeks ago, but according to the latest news article on the official site it now seems that the applicants for the job were interviewed this week. Graham Westley had previously said at the recent Supporters Association AGM that he had offered the position to someone and that the person in question had also helped with the club’s preparations for pre-season. I can only assume that this person has rejected the chance to become first team coach at Boro.

“We’ve already appointed a goalkeeper coach and a fitness coach that Graham has chosen and we’re now looking closely at the rehab side of the club. We’re hoping to announce the full managerial team later this week” Phil Wallace

One thing that stood out from Phil Wallace’s comment was that the club had appointed a fitness coach and were also looking at how the rehab at the club could be improved. Fitness was an area that Mark Stimson felt could do with improvement when he took over from Westley in 2006, so he brought in Danny Ellis to get the players into shape. It certainly paid off as at times Boro would have more energy than their opponents and be able to pick up valuable points late on in games. It’s good to see that the club are trying to get the best set up possible off the pitch so it will have its rewards on it.

“As for the club itself, the support is good and the training facilities are okay. There were one or two things I said to Phil about which need improving.” Peter Taylor April 2008

It seems that the board are paying a lot of attention on the coaching side of things at the club at the moment. When Peter Taylor left he said that he had learnt many things from his time at Boro and had also given Phil Wallace and the board some pointers on where the club could improve. Maybe the coaching set up was one of the areas he said could be improved.

Elsewhere former Boro goalkeeper Alan Julian is looking forward to the new season with Gillingham although he knows he will have a battle on his hands to be a regular at Priestfield this season. Julian said in an article with the Kent News that he enjoyed his time at Stevenage, but was always looking to get back into the league at some point. AJ could make his debut for his new club against his old club in the friendly on July 15th.