Following Gary Alexander’s dramatic weekend sacking at Ashford United, Tommy Warrilow has been appointed as his successor taking the former Thamesmead Town boss back to one of his playing clubs where he is still held in high regard.

In an exclusive interview with KSN, Warrilow has been talking about the struggles at Thamesmead and dramatic return to Homelands and his hopes for the future.

“It’s a bit out of the blue,” Warrilow admitted, “the club is one very close to my heart and has massive potential. It came as a massive surprise – there have been stories and rumours of me going to other clubs which have annoyed me if I’m honest. I got a phone call on Sunday morning from Don (Crosby) saying that Gary had left, and would I be interested.”

“As soon as I put the phone down with Don, I phoned Gary to see what had happened. After all, they’ve won their last few games, the last thing I wanted was to go into another fire fighting job. It was a call that I’m glad I made – I’ve known him for a couple of years and we’ve some mutual friends and he knows that I’m not a guy who chases jobs and goes ringing people who have just won three games on the bounce.”

“He said that my name had been mentioned down there – but as I said, when I first left Tonbridge, I was “supposed” to be going to Ashford. I met Don, but then things went wrong and he finished up banned from the ground – it was that long ago.”

“My name was always being mentioned and even when we played them this year, there was some banter in the bar with Jason that had a few comments, but it was just one of those things.”

“But Don actually did tell Gary that he was going to ring me and talk to me, so when I spoke to Gary, he said that Don had told him.”

“I told him that I was sorry what had happened – how it happened – and just chewed the fat with him, and I’m more than comfortable moving on as I just picked the phone up. There was speculation on other websites that I was in negotiations with them before the weekend and that really, really gets my goat up.”

“But I’d be mad to turn it down – it’s the same budget as Gary had, I know the club too and whilst I thought Thamesmead was a challenge that we couldn’t change the stigma on, but this Ashford job – I know the potential there is massive…  I also hope that this will finally stop all the stories that I’m going to Ramsgate.”

“All the things that came out is so wrong as Lloyd is doing a great job down there – when Ramsgate were at Phoenix a couple of weeks ago, I deliberately stayed away from a club that I hold very dear and that’s wrong.”

“You can’t do anything about that. So I wish Lloyd well and be thankful that I can go to a club that I know well and can hopefully do a good job for.”

“I did eight years at Tonbridge before going into Cray where we were asked to keep them up which was a massive achievement – but jobs are hard to come by in football. And the next thing that came up was Thamesmead where I was interested in what the Chairman was trying to do, but it wasn’t to be, which wasn’t through the lack of trying.”

“I know it wasn’t the lack of trying from him and it became a really, really difficult job, but it’s not done me any harm in my managerial career because it’s not always about having easy stuff, we’ve always had to dig in to find the chance to find a player, but then came the call to come and talk to Ashford and potential they have down there and I’m really looking forward to it and take it forward.”

Warrilow himself played at Homelands for the “old” Ashford Town as he recalled, “I had some very good times there under Neil Cugley and I’ve still got a lot of friends who live in the area and we had a successful side.”

“So, I know what the potential crowd-wise can be down there. But that was twenty / twenty-four years ago, and when you consider all the houses that have been built down there since, the potential to get people in is there and it’ll be down to us to maximise that and get the bodies through the gate.”

“But as I said to Don yesterday, it’s also about the club making the people of Ashford aware of what we’re trying to do – it’s a great area!”

Warrilow then confirmed that his coach Alex O’Brien would be joining him in the Homelands dug out.

“OB has been through everything with me – at Tonbridge, Cray and at Thamesmead too,” Warrilow reminded us.

“As soon as I came out from talking to the club I phoned him straight away as I had done on Sunday afternoon after speaking to Don and Gary. I think we’re both looking forward to the challenge and with no disrespect to Thamesmead by any means, but by having that bit of a back up where there are a few avenues rather than the Chairman putting his own money through, there are other revenue avenues available.”