9:47am Wednesday 10th March 2010
By Derek Bish
MARTIN Slocombe has urged fans to give Weymouth manager Jerry Gill their support after leaving the Wessex Stadium this week with a heavy heart.
Gill has been widely criticised by supporters after failing to win any of the team’s last eight matches, since the 3-1 success over Lewes in his first game in charge, but Slocombe said he has thoroughly enjoyed his time at the Wessex Stadium, including working with the current boss.
The 21-year-old left-back believes the former Birmingham City full-back may have had his hands tied by the club within days of walking through the door at the Blue Square South’s bottom side.
“I find it unfair on Jerry,” said Slocombe, who has signed dual registration forms with Bath City and Chippenham Town. “He’s come in, coached the team and tried to get a few players in.
“The ones he’s got in like Danny Smith have been quality. But I spoke to Danny and he said he couldn’t be offered anything at Weymouth.
“I know we are bottom of the league still, but it’s not Jerry Gill’s fault. George Rolls sacked Ina Hutchinson and at the end of the day he’s tried to do a job with the players already there.
“I got on well with him, I liked his training but we just weren’t getting the results on the pitch.
“No-one can blame him with what he’s done. If it was his team he could get a bit of stick but he’s tried to do a job and keep us up with a group of players that were there already.
“Now everyone has been given a pay cut he is going to have to work with the reserves, so we will see what happens there.”
Slocombe became the fifth player to turn down Rolls’ offer of a 50 per cent pay cut, following captain Scott Brice, midfielder Matt Groves and strikers Jake Reid and Josh Llewellyn out of the club.
The five key players have clocked up 11,300 minutes between them on the pitch for the Terras this season and form five of the top six most featured players this season – Simon Radcliffe in fifth is the other.
And Slocombe believes they could have helped lead Weymouth to Blue Square South survival if the club had tried to fight the forthcoming expulsion from the division, if Rolls’ proposed Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) is accepted.
“As soon as George Rolls took over I thought everything was going to be sorted.” said Slocombe. “I can see where George is coming from but I still think we had a chance to stay up.”
The players were aware of a meeting with Rolls on the Saturday after the Newport game, but the left-back was left disappointed with a phone call from club official Gary Calder the night before they faced the Exiles.
“We were all offered the cut and we were told we weren’t training anymore. I’m living near Bristol and it’s a hell of a way to drive for an amount that would have barely covered my petrol money.
“We all had a phone call from Gary Calder on Friday, the night before arguably the biggest game of the season, which I thought was a bit inappropriate.”
Slocombe also revealed the reasons behind his love of Weymouth having experienced such a traumatic time at the club.
“There was a really good team spirit,” he said. “I was at Bath City last year and I just felt something different this year – I enjoyed it more. Even when we didn’t get paid for two months we still turned up and trained.”
* Terras’ top scorer Jake Reid has joined Blue Square Premier outfit Salisbury City.
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