FALMOUTH TOWN | PARTY LIKE ITS 2015

Ten years at the helm for Andrew Westgarth

This summer has seen Andrew Westgarth celebrate ten years in charge of his hometown club, Falmouth Town.

Westgarth is the first to admit that it’s been quite a journey over the past decade and it all began with him on a stag do in Ibiza for his first game at the helm.

“When I was appointed as manager, I was already committed to being on a close friend’s stag do in Ibiza on the opening day of the season,” he explained to us. “We ended up losing that game at home to Elburton, which put a dampener on things, but I was back the following Saturday to see us win 2-0 away at St. Blazey!

“It was the start of what can best be described as an eventful ten years! When I first took over it was all about steadying the ship and seeing where we could go.

“Year by year, piece by piece, we have built something special here. We’ve gained momentum, found a bit of success and never looked back.

“Now we sit here in Step 4 having finished ninth last season as well as lifting the Cornwall Senior Cup. We’re in a good place and it’s still an absolute honour to be in charge of my hometown club, a club that means so much to me.

“After the start we made last season, we’d have bitten your hand off for the finish we eventually had. Going into the campaign, the target was to stay in the division; when you are climbing the Leagues you win more than you lose, but there comes a point where you reach a level that you have to learn to deal with defeats and it was something we had to manage as a group.

“There was a clear jump in standard from what we had previously been used to – the first season is always tough, but the second can be even harder and we have to prepare for that during the campaign ahead.

“One thing I love about the Southern League is the movement of clubs — there are new teams to face and fresh challenges to tackle, which is something we’re really looking forward to.

“I have to be honest, I’m not a big fan of pre-season. For a manager there’s no real break and the games mean nothing in terms of points on the board, but I’m lucky to have a great group of lads, with about five or six of them having played over 200-300 games for us. That loyalty is vital for me and for the club.

“My target every year since day one has been simple; be better than the season before. It’ll be a challenge, but that’s why we do it and I can’t wait for the battle for three points to begin.”

IMAGE: Falmouth Town FC

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