New Manager lasts just a few hours at Billericay!
Madcap Billericay Town owner Glenn Tamplin sacked new manager Steve Watt within two hours of giving him the job – having discovered he had a pop at him in the press last season.
The controversial millionaire put the club up for sale last week amid accusations he snorted cocaine in the changing room toilets before taking charge of their September 1 game against Woking.
He performed a U-turn on Sunday after police took no further action against him but the drama didn’t stop there.
Maidstone United caretaker boss Watt agreed to help him run the National League South side and was introduced to the players via their WhatsApp group.
At 2pm on Monday Tamplin welcomed the new arrival by adding him to the team chat but he wasn’t there for long.
Within a few hours Watt was abruptly booted out of the group with the squad left scratching their heads.
Then at 5.30pm, Tamplin returned saying: ‘I’ve had to sack him bcoz he was slagging us off last year’.
Watt confirmed he had agreed in principle to becoming head coach at New Lodge shortly after leaving his position as Maidstone caretaker boss on Tuesday.
He was added to the players’ WhatsApp group by owner Glenn Tamplin, who told him he would call that evening to confirm and that Watt should go into the club for a chat on Thursday.
But the call never came and Watt left the group, then read he’d been sacked for comments he’d supposedly made about Tamplin while in charge at Margate last season, something he refutes.
Watt told KentOnline: “I’ve lost two jobs in one day, which takes some doing. It must be a record.
“I’ve been sacked from a job I never had.
“I’m a bit confused with it all. Glenn rang me yesterday and offered me the job as head coach.
“I agreed in principle after a brief chat so he added me to the WhatsApp group and introduced me to the players.
“Then I got a phone call about half an hour later saying I’m going to ring you back tonight to confirm everything.
“It was clear he was backtracking on our earlier chat and I’ve not heard from him since.
“A few players put things on the group afterwards which made me think it wasn’t happening, so I left the group.
“I left the group, I wasn’t booted out, and I’ve not heard from him since.
“I’ve tried to phone him today after reading the stories in the press, but no answer.
“The thing that’s annoyed me is I’ve never once slagged Glenn off, or the club. If you look at my Twitter and any press I’ve ever done I’ve always been complimentary of them.
“I know who’s accused me and I’ve spoken to them about it today. If I’ve got something to say about someone I’ll do it to their face.
“I’m not the type who needs to do it behind anyone’s back. You know where you stand with me.
“I’d rather Glenn had just called me and asked me about it himself and I could have set the record straight.”
Watt has taken his ‘sacking’ on the chin and wishes Billericay well.
He said: “I don’t know how I’ve been sacked from a job I never had but I’d like to thank the players for their efforts.
“It was a pleasure working with the boys – it’s probably one of the best squads I’ve ever worked with.
“I wish Billericay and Glenn all the very best for the future.”
One shocked Billericay player told the Daily Mirror : “One minute we were all saying how much we were looking forward to working with the guy, the next he was gone.
Glenn Tamplin sacks Billericay manager Harry Wheeler ‘by text five minutes BEFORE match ended’
“I’ve never seen anything like it. Apparently when he was in charge of Margate last season he had a few digs at Glenn and it’s all come out. Hopefully something gets sorted soon.”
The search goes on for a new manager after the Essex owner fired popular Harry Wheeler late last month following a first defeat of the season.
Tamplin failed to get the well-respected coach to return and on Monday Wheeler was handed the Maidstone job.
Despite being in charge for only a few hours, Watt’s departure isn’t the shortest in football history.
Torquay United introduced Leroy Rosenior to the media back in 2007 but was said to have been sacked within ten minutes after the sale of the club was agreed with the new consortium wanting their own man.
Tamplin is never far from the headlines and this summer gave an interview predicting his team were going to win the division.
After vowing to quit, he announced at the weekend he would be staying as he is yet to meet an investor with his level of ambition.
Billericay are still one of the favourites for the title in the National League South, to visit their website click here
Picture credit Nicky Hayes and Billericay FC