Everybody at Guildford City Football Club would like to thank Dean Thomas for everything he has done for the club over the last 12 months. Dean announced that he was stepping down on Wednesday evening for personal reasons. Ironically both his first and last matches in charge were against Raynes Park at the Spectrum, and to compound the similarities both matches saw his side score five goals.
When Dean first arrived at the club his playing squad amounted to just five players. He quickly had to set about to build a squad that could compete in the ever improving Combined Counties League. This is never easy mid-season but over a period of 3-4 months he managed to build a fully competitive team that went on a great run in the last third of the season. Dean was a players’ manager and he specialised in building a great team spirit, and it was this spirit that saw his side gain two memorable victories last season against all odds, playing with ten men and with an outfield player in goal in one match and a goalkeeper playing with a broken hand in the other!
It wasn’t just on the pitch where Dean contributed. Determined to build a side that could challenge this season he spent much of the summer, with his assistant Steve Dormer, contacting business after business selling sponsorships and advertising. The results of this hard work can be seen around the perimeter at the Spectrum, and in the match day programme.
Wherever Dean’s footballing future lies we wish him well, and he will always be most welcome at the Spectrum. In the meantime Dean’s assistant Steve Dormer will take on the role, until the end of the season.
Tomorrow (Saturday) City are away at Knaphill in CCL action. Kick-off is 3pm.
