David O’Driscoll hopes the arrival of new man Colin Reid can turn things around as the club has had a tough start to the season so far

New manager Colin Reid (left)
with assistant manager Lawrence
Ashworth, Credit: Bill Badger

Walthamstow FC’s difficult start to the season has led to the inevitable change at the top, with manager Vinny Murphy leaving the club.

Walthamstow is currently sat just outside the relegation zone of the Isthmian League North. At the beginning of the season, Walthamstow’s ambition was to be at the other end of the table.

This poor placing is due to their recent woeful form; while it is a long season, it looks like Walthamstow is currently in a relegation fight with four clubs at risk of relegation.

Speaking to many fans at Wadham Lodge, they have been unimpressed by the recent performances and are often puzzled by the team’s tactics, amid a lot of chopping and changing of players.

This has resulted in some pretty lame performances; a particular low point was their 4-0 home thrashing at the hands of
local rivals Redbridge.

This was followed by two further losses, including a 6-0 drubbing at Waltham Abbey. At a recent game, I did not recognise four of the players, who were all newcomers.

While there is typically a lot of chopping and changing in the non-league game, it surely cannot help the team’s structure. For a brief moment, it seemed that the tide had turned as Walthamstow put up a strong performance against the league leaders, Felixstowe and Walton United, where they were unlucky to lose 2-1.

However, Walthamstow’s big losses continued, so it’s no surprise they pulled the plug on Murphy.

Announcing Murphy’s departure, Walthamstow FC said: “The club would like to thank Vinny and his management staff for all their efforts during their time at the club.

Vinny came in at a difficult time and drove the club to some incredible performances during his two years in charge. Vinny will always be a key part of the club’s history, and we are grateful for his efforts as a player and a manager. He will always be welcome at the Lodge. We are now looking forward to working with Colin Reid and moving away from the relegation places.”

The new man, Reid, is an interesting choice and has an impressive CV. He began his coaching career as an academy coach
at Spurs, where he worked with Peter Crouch, among others.

He also spent time with Orient, West Ham, Stevenage, and the Lionesses at Millwall. Reid also has considerable experience in the non-league game, having managed and coached a whole host of clubs, most recently at Welling United. He was also at Margate and Bishop Stortford.

What is striking about Reid is that he ishighly qualified, holding a UEFA A coaching badge, meaning he is allowed to coach professional clubs in addition to semi-professional ones like Walthamstow FC.

So like all Walthamstow FC fans, I’m hoping Reid will utilise his coaching knowledge and contacts to bring in some new players and help the club move upwards again.

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.