JIMMY Ginnelly has stepped down as manager and co-owner of Southern League Premier Central side Nuneaton Borough five years after stepping in to stop his home town club from going under.
Friday night's ‘home' match with Hitchin Town – played at Barwell after a dispute with landlords left them locked out of their own Liberty Way ground – was his last in charge after admitting it was the only option.
Ginnelly told BBC Coventry and Warwickshire: “I absolutely love the club and I absolutely love working for the club. I have been doing everything I can for the last five years to help save the club.
“Five years ago they said it was the Titanic and we needed to get it off the bottom of the ocean and we did all that.
“We got them into the play-offs in front of 5,000 people, put 40 junior teams back on board, put an academy back on board and absolutely everything is going in the right direction but unfortunately we still haven't any answers to why the landlords, Arden Tigress, decided to put the padlocks on.
“I have been told over the last few days that if the current tenants weren't there then they would possibly open the gates back up for the football club so I'm going to do what's right for Nuneaton Borough and sacrifice myself in the hope that he does take heed and open them gates.
“Jesus did it for his disciples and I'll do it for the sake of the football club.
“If Jimmy Ginnelly has to sacrifice everything that he's done and his love for that club and the community then I'll put myself on the cross and hopefully only one person suffers.
“It is all about getting back into Liberty Way so I have to do what I have to do for the sake of Nuneaton Borough FC because I would hate to see the club die. I'm a street kid, a man who can take a punch on the jaw. This is probably the biggest punch I've taken in football but for the sake of the club I'll do it.”
Ginnelly admitted that the last few months had taken its toll on both his health and finances but hoped that the future of the club would be secured with a consortium interested in taking over and with former Solihull Moors and Ki d d e r – minster Harriers midfielder Kyle Storer stepping into a player-manager role.
“Ian Cook, the acting chairman, assures me that he is willing to take the club on and I want to thank him because he has seen the stress I have been under over the last six months,” Ginnelly added. “It has taken its toll on my health and I've not been enjoying the football – all I'm doing is begging, stealing and borrowing.
“I have been hanging on for ten or 12 weeks but I have a small business, my missus has a small business and we have put everything we can in to try and save it. My piggy bank is empty now.
“It's a crying shame it has ended this way because I do love football and maybe a chairman will call me next week and ask me to become the manager and not the gopher – I believe I still have a lot to give.”
