Outgoing Hawick head coach Matty Douglas breaks silence over sacking ahead of play-off final and cup semi-final
The 28-year-old has quit as gaffer of the Greens after being told his contract wouldn’t be renewed this summer and he’s now issued a statement telling of his shock and disappointment at being given the boot despite going through last season unbeaten and only just falling short of doing the same this time round.
“Over the past three seasons, I have been the proud head coach of my home-town club,” he said.
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Hide Ad“Taking this job at such a young age after my early retirement from playing due to hip-replacement surgery was a huge responsibility but one I relished and loved every moment of.
“Since taking on the role of head coach, Hawick have made steady progress, culminating in a league and cup double in 2022-23, for the first time in 21 years, and we find ourselves once again in a strong position to repeat that feat this year.
“I am proud of my role in helping the club to be in a position to secure an unprecedented back-to-back double, and I am grateful to the players who have had the discipline to work with me, who have understood my principles of defensive resilience and strong foundation and who have grown to become a team of men with the ability to achieve consistent performances that they themselves and our town can be proud of.
“With all of the great success we have achieved during my time coaching Hawick, the statistic I am most proud of is our defensive record. We have been unbeaten at home since 2019, when I took on the defensive coaching duties at the club.
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Hide Ad“With all of that being said, the decision by the club to not renew my contract came as a complete surprise.
“I’m a fairly realistic person and I was contemplating my own future as I am aware every coach has a lifespan with a team, and I had thought about the prospect of new challenges next season at a higher level.
“The fact that I was told that my contract would not be renewed without the club even enquiring about what I was planning on doing was extremely disappointing.
“The club at no point had asked if I was thinking about staying on next season. That lack of respect, unfortunately, left a sour taste in my mouth and that led to my decision to resign with immediate effect even though we are on the cusp of further success as a club.”
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