Sports search resumes as Gray is axed

By Jon Couch

Eastbourne Borough owner Simon Leslie is looking for his fourth manager in just over two seasons following the departure of Matt Gray after overseeing just ten league games in the hotseat.

Gray, 43, took over at Priory Lane from Adam Murray in May with the full-time Sports having been edged out of the National League South play-offs by Maidstone United.

But despite leading a summer of wholesale change on the south-coast, the man who took Sutton United into the Football League was unable to get the Sports firing and left the club this week with the club joint-bottom of the table and without a league win from their opening ten matches.

Gray’s fate was sealed after fans’ disquiet met a 0-0 draw with fellow strugglers Salisbury in their last home game, although Sports did rally to a creditable 2-2 draw with Ebbsfleet last Saturday.

OUSTED: Matt Gray

Assistant manager Jason Goodliffe also departed.

Sports’ women’s manager Chris Day has taken interim charge of first-team affairs and was joined in the dugout for yesterday’s FA Cup visit of Boreham Wood by former Rotherham, Kidderminster and Lincoln City striker Drewe Broughton.

Announcing the departures, the club said in a statement: “The club would like to thank Matt for his efforts during his tenure in charge at The ReachTV Stadium and would like to wish him all the best for the future.

“Jason Goodliffe will also be departing the club as a result, and we would also like to wish him well in his future endeavours.”