HARTY: On Worthing Football Club and Dean Cox

WORTHING Football Club's rollercoaster season came to an end with an extra-time play-off defeat against Godalming at Woodside Road, meaning the club have another campaign in Ryman League Division 1 South next season '“ this time alongside fellow Sussex clubs, Bognor and Whitehawk.

But, long before the first game kicks-off in August, the club have serious issues to address '“ none more so than the future of manager Simon Colbran.

With various budget cuts at points during the season, Colbran has worked a miracle of almost biblical proportions to get the Rebels as far as he has. But now is the time for action.

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I have a degree of sympathy for the existing board at Woodside Road. They have been well and truly left holding the "baby" '“ the baby that is a near six-figure debt.

As a result, the proposed budget on the table for next season will neither keep Colbran at the club and seriously cast doubts on whether the team could survive in Ryman 1 South, let alone mount a promotion challenge.

Worthing in the Sussex County League in August, 2011?

Unthinkable? Perhaps. But don't rule it out unless something drastic happens at the club.

The next two weeks are vital. The board have to meet interested parties and new blood has to come on board.

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The debt issue must be addressed, even to the point of looking at the people actually responsible for running that figure up taking responsibility, rather than the club.

Clearly, the bank mustn't be broken again. But every effort must be made to give Colbran a realistic budget to mount a promotion challenge, otherwise the club could possibly go into freefall.

Will Dean Cox go down in Albion recent history as one of the club's greatest under-achievers?

Gus Poyet has told the 22-year-old to look for another club after scoring 22 goals in 179 Albion appearances, bringing down the curtain on, in my opinion, one of the most frustrating Albion careers.

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To my mind, Cox ticked all the boxes. Clearly a view shared by Mark McGhee, who gave him his first-team debut at 19, and Dean Wilkins, who having had him at the club since his early teens, saw him as an integral part of the side when he was first-team manager.

But, perhaps, it was Wilkins' time as boss that the die was ultimately cast?

Like I said, Cox's ability was never in doubt but there have been alleged question marks over his attitude. With my limited media dealings with him, I've always found him to a be a pleasant young man.

But as far back as February, 2008, reports of a training ground bust-up had one former Albion boss comment that if Cox had behaved like that when he was at the club, it would have been the job centre, rather than the Withdean, that he would have been plying his trade.

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Unfortunately, football is awash with players who have never really achieved what they should. Leon Knight being a case in point.

I just hope that, at 22, a change of scene for Cox will be the wake-up call he needs to re-ignite what was a very promising career.

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