Haywards Heath boss steps down

The Mid Sussex Times has just revealed that Haywards Heath Town boss Shaun Saunders, who has taken the club to unprecedented heights during his five years in charge, has decided to step down- and has handed the reins to his newly-installed joint manager, Lloyd Cotton.

Speaking to the paper, Saunders explained:

“I let the club know last Sunday, we bought Lloyd in as joint to release a bit of pressure on me. To be honest I just need a bit of a breather from it.

I tried really hard through the summer after lockdown to come out out of that and have worked continuously helping put the squad together. But it’s just come round a little too quickly for me if I am honest. I just feel after five years at the club I just feel like I need a bit of a break.”

Saunders joined the club after an incredibly successful spell at Peacehaven and Telscombe, which saw the Magpies promoted from Step Five to Step Three and win the Sussex Senior Cup. Whilst at Heath he won promotion from SCFL Division One at his first attempt, then topped that by winning the Premier Division, only to see his side docked points and miss out on promotion. Undeterred he then steered them to the title once more, and in their first Isthmian season took them all the way to the South East Playoff Semi-Finals. Last season they were in twelfth place when everything came to a sudden end- and you can add a couple of cup wins to the silverware total, too!

Cotton’s first competitive test will come in the FA Cup Preliminary Round on Saturday 12th September, opposition as yet unknown.