CAST Chair Heather McKinlay met Dean Holden at Sparrows Lane on Friday:
"there’s something about south-east London I can relate to, like Salford, working class, proper, real, genuine, honest – everywhere I go people will be brutally honest with me and that’s brilliant.”
“My ideal would be to continue the progression we’ve seen up till now and to stay longer term – I’ve literally fell for the place. I’ve barely been back home since I came down - something special has grabbed me."
“people should have an understanding of what’s going on – I try and speak in normal language.”
there’s a lot of anger and I understand all that.”
“judge me on the way out rather than on the way in.”
The full interview:
https://www.castrust.org/2023/02/dean-holden-to-c-a-s-t-something-special-has-grabbed-me/
Comments
Now waiting to see whether action matches ambition.
And I like him whatever happens.
I have no fecking idea if we’re being played by a bunch of chanchers,
But it’s the first time in a fecking long time I’ve listened to a manager that I like.
If it turns out I’ve been played, so be it.
Holden arrived on his own
He hasn't "ordered" a picture of the FA Cup winning, the museum are lending him one!
Holden Out
Re the coaches, I think it’s fascinating that he has come in alone and has clearly already built a good rapport with Marshall and Hayes. That takes character.
Overall he struck me as a bit of a throwback to the times when a manager very much set the tone for the club and he is clearly very committed and a bit of a workaholic. Obvious from other interviews how important his family is too, yet his wife and children are still in the NW. Will have to see how that works out - will depend on his contract situation at some point, I guess.
I really like how quickly he has absorbed what the club is, in the context of where it sits geographically.
“proper, special and potential”. He nails it, and Weegie will know what I mean, it isn't easy to nail that apparently innocent question, especially when you've only been around a few weeks and come from oop North. Curbs gets it nowadays, on Charlton TV he's the living embodiment of all we achieved in the last 30 years, but if you are old enough you may recall that for quite a while we were not sure he was one of us, that his heart lay across the river.
Of course that doesn't matter if you are not getting anywhere on the pitch, but 4 wins in five gives his words some substance.
All the more reason to do all we can to get him the backing he deserves from the boardroom, whoever 's in it.
I hope he gets a much longer contract whoever the owner is/are.
But so far so very good.
What we truly need now is stability on the Manager front so I hope the team keep playing well and Dean stays despite the absolute sh*t show going on in the background which is turning into a farce.
I really feel positive about Holden. Given backing he can take us places.