‘Victim’ Whaley was a United fall guy

By Jon Couch

BRETT WHALEY believes he was a victim of his own success at Spalding United.

Whaley sacked by the Tulips despite leading them to third in NPL Midlands and very much in the promotion race.

But after last Saturday’s goalless draw at home to Loughborough Dynamo left them nine points behind leaders Stamford with a game in hand, the hierarchy decided to act.

Under Whaley, Spalding did not lose a game until early January and boasted the longest unbeaten run from the start of the season of any team in the top eight tiers of English football. They also reached the final of the Lincolnshire Senior Cup for the first time in three decades. But since January, the club’s form has dropped slightly with four wins, two draws and two defeats coming from their last eight league matches before yesterday.

EXIT: Brett Whaley

“I’m obviously gutted to be sacked, sitting in such a good league position and with a cup final to look forward to,” Whaley told Peterborough Today. “We may have been a victim of our own success after our start, but it’s fair to say we were in a dip of form.

“Having nowhere to train has meant turning that form around has been extremely difficult, but I would never question the players’ attitudes or that they weren’t giving me everything.

“The club obviously didn’t feel that was happening quick enough.”

Chairman Andrew Killingsworth said: “He [Whaley] came in at a difficult time for the club, stabilised on the field and had a very good start to the season. This was a difficult decision but one we felt was right considering the challenges we have faced on the pitch since the new year.

“This was a decision made in the best interest of the club going forward.”