Broady: Glass axing is no real shock

By Neil Harvey

AXED: Leon Broadhurst

LEON Broadhurst says he was disappointed but not overly surprised to be sacked by struggling Stourbridge.

The Glassboys’-record appearance holder returned to the War Memorial Ground in October 2021, initially as a joint-manager with Stuart Pierpoint, before going it alone last summer with Pierpoint as his assistant.

But the club’s progress under the 39-year-old has been severely hampered by injuries with the West Midlands club not yet mathematically safe from relegation in Southern League Premier Central.

“I wasn’t surprised at the outcome,” Broadhurst told the Express & Star after one win in eight matches.

“I wasn’t surprised that the club wanted change. I was obviously disappointed but I think this has been in the making for the last couple of weeks.

“This is [chairman] Andy Pountney’s decision, he wants to move the football club forward, which I understand.

“I’ve had no strikers since the end of November when I lost [Luke] Benbow. I’ve brought Ethan Freemantle in, Alex Jones in, both have been injured which is just the curse of the number nine shirt at the moment. There’s not a manager in our league or the league above that would not struggle. When you lose your strikers you can’t score goals and that’s how you win games.”

Broadhurst has been replaced by player-coach Darryl Knights, who has taken over as interim boss to the end of the season.

Knights, 35, has been with the Glassboys since 2020 and will be assisted by fans favourite Lewis Solly.

A club statement read: “Darryl will use the forthcoming period to develop his management team and we as a board of directors will give him all the support he needs.”