Manager Keith Curle heads into his final week with the club, having confirmed last Thursday that he intends to move on from Brunton Park at close of play next Monday, and he spoke again today about the overwhelming response to the news of his departure he’s received from a large section of the Blue Army.
“I’ve read all the emails and cards and I do appreciate the comments people are making,” he told us. “It isn’t easy to leave but I always think you have to make decisions for the right reasons.
“The support and backing you get at this club is fantastic and my biggest wish is that the fans continue that, both for the new manager and for the directors. My ties are severed with the club from 8 May and, at that point, I’m an out-of-work manager.
“Until then I will continue to put the demands on the players because they’re going out to represent our football club. What hasn’t changed for me, whatever we’ve faced, is that I’m here to represent this club in the best way possible.
“That’s why I always stay focused and I try to do things properly, and I make sure that whoever is within my environment adopts the same approach.”
“I surround myself with people who want to be successful,” he continued. “We’re on the run we’re on at the moment [one defeat in 13 games] because the players know they can go into games able to express themselves.
“Not every player will be happy but, as I keep saying, every selection is made with the betterment of the team in mind. With my staff – Lee Dykes, Colin West, Simon Tracey and Dan Watson – I’ve tried to create the right type of environment for the players and I think we’ve done that really well. The players have enjoyed working within the environment and people buy into that.”
“I’ve never had a situation like this where I’ve left a club in this way,” he confirmed. “I’ve been sacked, placed on gardening leave and asked to move on, and that’s why I thought it was important for me to go over and get as close as I possibly could to the supporters on Saturday.
“Part of my job has been to form a relationship with the fans through my time here, because if you don’t have their backing it makes your job very difficult. We’ve had some tough times over the years, but we’ve also had some memorable games and occasions, and it’s been nice to be able to say thank you to as many of them as possible for that.”
“It means a lot to hear the songs and see the banners,” he concluded. “It isn’t easy to leave a club where you’ve put a lot of time and effort in to what you’ve tried to achieve. All but one of the players we have were brought to this club by me, and they’ve all bought in to the philosophy of the way we like to do things.
“A massive thank you goes to the players and the staff who have adjusted to some of the changes I’ve asked for because they’ve all made the job much easier, as have the fans.”
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