Steve McKimm vows to turn Slough Town’s fortunes around

New Slough Town boss Steve McKimm admits the Rebels have a fight on their hands as he takes charge of a side rooted to the foot of National League South.

McKimm was appointed on Wednesday, alongside assistant manager Barry Moore and first-team coach Mark Watson, as Slough look to revive their fortunes after a difficult start to the campaign.

The 51-year-old arrives at Arbour Park with plenty of Non-League experience, having guided Tonbridge Angels to promotion to the National League South in 2019 before leading Cray Valley Paper Mills to the Isthmian League South East Division title in his first season in charge.

But his immediate priority is turning the Rebels’ season around, with the Step 2 outfit having picked up just four points from their opening 12 league games, winning once and losing 10.

WATCH THE LATEST NON-LEAGUE GOALMOUTH HERE

You can now listen to the Non-League Goalmouth on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Determined

“I’m very happy to be here as the manager of Slough Town FC,” McKimm told the club’s website.

“We’re not in the best position at the moment, but with the hard work from staff, the players and the backing of the fantastic support base the club has, we are determined to turn it around.”

McKimm takes over from Alan Julian, who was dismissed in September after six consecutive league defeats, with Johnny Goddard, Ryan Case and Henry Ochieng subsequently taking interim charge.

The trio’s first game ended in a 5-1 defeat at Salisbury, but Slough responded with a 1-0 win at AFC Totton to claim their first league points of the season.

However, the Rebels have struggled to build on that result, losing to Hemel Hempstead and suffering a 5-1 defeat at Torquay United before Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to Horsham.

A 1-1 draw against Ebbsfleet United has been their only other league point, leaving the new manager with plenty of work to do.

Real passion

Slough CEO Ashley Smith added: “I am delighted to welcome Steve as our new men’s first-team manager, alongside Barry and Mark.

“Throughout this process, Steve showed total professionalism and a real passion for the challenge ahead.

“My sincere thanks to Johnny, Ryan, and Henry for leading the squad so brilliantly in recent weeks.

“Their efforts have undeniably strengthened the group.”

Julian had previously questioned whether his dismissal came too soon, pointing to Slough’s limited budget and the narrow margins in several of their early defeats.

McKimm will now be tasked with improving results and giving the Rebels a platform to climb away from the bottom of the table.

He has worked alongside Moore throughout his managerial career, while Watson joined the pair at Cray Valley, where they enjoyed a memorable FA Cup run that included a 1-1 draw away to League One Charlton Athletic before losing the replay.

McKimm’s first league game in charge will be at home to Dorking Wanderers this Saturday.

READ MORE: Mark Duffy exits Southport less than three weeks after landing manager’s job permanently