Page 21 - CHUFC vs Cove 2020-21 season

area. Having played professional football for building a new team capable of retaining
Aldershot and Brentford, the club decided their position in the Premier Division. How-
his playing experience and knowledge could ever, our young team of hopefuls were unable
be invaluable and in his first season, Cove to compete at this level and after some poor
won the Southern Combination Cup with a results found ourselves at the foot of the table
4-0 victory over Chessington and Hook. many points adrift of safety. Following Dave’s
In Season 2010-11, Cove won the Combined
Counties League Cup with a 2-0 win over
Bedfont, followed by a victory over Farnbor-
ough Town in the semi-final of the Aldershot
Senior Cup before losing to Fleet Town in the
final.
In 2011 manager Koo Dumbuya left the club
after 4 years as player/manager to take up a
post at Chertsey Town, leaving a big hole to
fill as his knowledge of local football was im-
mense.
During season 2012-13 following some
poor performances, the club employed an
ex-player Anthony Millerick who brought
instant success with the winning of the Al- resignation at Christmas, new manager Paul
dershot Senior Cup and a 3-0 victory over Duncan set about trying to save our Premier
Fleet Spurs, also finishing 3rd in the League, status, but despite some improved perfor-
our highest position for many a year. mances the points difference right at the bot-
2013-2014 was another successful season tom was too much and hence we found our-
finishing 5th after a run of 22 games, 19 wins, selves relegated to the CCFL Division One.
and 1 defeat and 2 draws. Cove thrived in This is the first time in the club’s 120 year his-
2014-2015 as well sitting on top of the league tory that Cove had to face up to relegation.
for half the season, but unable to go for pro- In the summer of 2016 Cove desperately
motion due to the cost of ground improve- needed a change; both in personnel respon-
ments and travel, saw a considerable dip in sible for the club overall and football strategy
form, leaving Cove with a fifth-place finish going forward. It also needed a huge amount
and a mass exodus of management and play- of work to the clubhouse and grounds. The
ers. With hindsight a poor decision by the whole place needed an overhaul. Those re-
committee at the time. sponsible for the last 15 years had let it go
A complete change of personnel followed and driven it into the ground. Cove FC had
with the appointment of Dave Matthews as to survive. The result was several resigna-
manager, following his success as a Youth tions from the old committee and new ide-
Team coach. He accepted the challenge of as and aspirations from many in the Youth