Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Dixon terms were known, admits Melvin
Tuesday, April 20 2004
Hitchin Town appointed Kerry Dixon in the knowledge that the former Chelsea and England striker's availability would be restricted, says Canaries' Managing Director Andy Melvin.
But Melvin insisted that the management team installed following Robbie O'Keefe's departure in November allowed for such a scenario. "When Robbie left, we did not want to make drastic changes, so we appointed a three-man team comprising Kerry, Ian Donnelly and Mark Burke, which was designed to compensate for when Kerry was unavailable," says Melvin.
Dixon's absence has been cited as a major problem by Hitchin fans who have seen their team slip down the league table in recent months. Melvin is adamant, however, that the manager was always going to find life hard in the wake of budget cuts and a player exodus. "Kerry has been on a hiding to nothing, but because he is a high-profile name, the problems become amplified. We hired Kerry because as well as being a good coach, his name has cachet. But at the same time, when things go wrong, being a "name" can make you a target."
Melvin is sympathetic to Dixon's circumstances as a media pundit at Chelsea and deflects criticism from the manager. "Kerry has to earn a living and nobody should question that. If any questions are to be asked, they should be directed at myself and the committee at the club. We knew the situation and you have to remember, Kerry didn't apply for the job."
The Hitchin Management Committee knows that the season has gone badly out of control, and even Melvin admits that he has to rethink the future. "I will be speaking with Kerry this week to determine how we move forward."
