No subjects were off limits as we talked recruitment, budget, ethos, ambitions and much more ....
(RE- Russ Eagle LF- Luke Forgione)

Russ /Luke You’ve been in your new roles approximately 3 weeks now, what’s been going on behind the scenes and what have been your impressions of the club?

RE: It seems a lot longer than 3 weeks to be fair, the first job was to get to know people and see what was needed to get us up and running. My first impressions of the club are all good, myself and Luke have had a very warm welcome from everyone and we have been given all the help we need to get the ball rolling.

LF: Russ and myself have held a number of conversations around the future direction of the club, our playing/coaching philosophy, club values, recruitment, ethos, objectives etc since it was announced that we would be working together, the phone was busy to say the least.
We’ve had plenty of well wishes and players contacting us to discuss the possibility of joining along with me contacting players I had identified over the last 12 months and previous contacts.
These conversations have continued and will no doubt continue, everyone is in the same boat trying to get players to sign on the dotted line. The money being thrown about now is astronomical in comparison to when I was playing, which makes it difficult.
Players are always looking to get the best deal for themselves which is understandable but it is frustrating when you are management as you are looking to build a squad and you don’t know what you have until they have signed.
We want players who want to play for the club. Handsworth, have competed at the top level for the last 5 years, and we aim to continue to do so, however it could be argued that the club lost some of its DNA doing so. It is a well known family club and respected for its youth development, and that is one of the values that we must recognise and promote. The need to bring this great club together and show that there is a pathway to the first team for any of our youth players should be a motivator, but with a realistic aim. We want all Ambers to come through the gate to support the first team and the same to be reciprocated at first team level.

There have been some boardroom changes at the club over the Summer how is this panning out from your point of view?

RE: As at all clubs, change happens at different levels within the club and the boardroom level change here at Handsworth has not affected us in our planning. We have been told what is expected and we get on with that from day one!!!

LF: I look forward to working with them all to be honest. All members of the board have the club at heart, therefore the best interests of the club will always be put first and that’s great to know. Honesty is all you can ask for and I believe all board members are on the same page as the Management and genuinely excited about where this club be heading in the future.

What has been going on in the recruitment front, has it been busy and how have you found the market place ?

RE: Where do I start? Getting players in at this time of the pre season is nuts. I have spoken to hundreds of players, we have kept several from last season and I’m still at it (recruiting) now. The market place is mad, there are players selling their mums to get better deals and there are clubs promising the world. We’re all after the same players and it will be like this until the first game of the season I’m sure .... but that’s football at this level!

LF: The best way I can describe it is competitive. As mentioned previously, we have identified targets, they have been approached and the ball is in their court. If they join us great, but if they don’t, they don’t. We won’t lose any sleep over it. We will work with what we have and will be happy. We want players who want to play for the club, it’s as simple as that.

It’s no secret that the ethos of the club has had to change. What challenges does this pose and what key qualities are you looking for from the squad?

RE: To be fair the ethos would have changed anyway as we have our way of doing things. The challenge is to get the right players in, that want what we want and to believe in what the joint end goal is. The squad we build will be together, play for each other, be very competitive and will be a credit to our club

LF: I think it would be fair to say that the budget was bigger in the past than what it is now and that allows you to attract a certain type of player and maybe a certain type of individual to be honest. The budget is still very good for this level of football but the amount of money going around in non league now is unbelievable.

I sometimes wish I was still playing, I might have got a bit more myself, maybe not though ha ha!! The key qualities going forward are playing for the badge, the TEAM, with a strong desire to progress, a good work ethic, attitude and accountability.

Handsworth is a great club but also could be a platform for a footballer to go on and progress. A point that me and Russ are both keen on, having worked in youth football, is the opportunity to develop as a footballer, it’s a key objective for us and we believe we can develop the individual. If we can work individually with players the team will be stronger.

Luke, Handsworth is a big club, what was your impression as an outsider looking in and what do you see as our key strengths?

LF: I’d agree Handsworth is a big club. I can’t think of many, if any clubs that have the infrastructure we have. I believe we have 18 boy’s teams from Under 7 to adult football which is unbelievable. These players should be, and need to be the heartbeat of the club. We have fantastic facilities and a new 3G on its way, which will be a base for all our teams but also our training pitch. A full state of the art surface to train on rather than a third, which will allows us to work on tactics for the games. I know we’ve plans to bring in a new marketing officer and match analyst, and we will be working closely with Barnsley College to identify students who want to gain valuable experience.

One of our strengths is the experience and knowledge of our management staff, all have their own expertise and experiences. I believe we will complement each other but also can help drive this club forward over a period of time.

Our key strength is the family club, we need to get those people through the gate and giving them a sense of belonging and aligning the first team with the junior/youth set up. Get the crowds up, and returning to Oliver’s Mount will be massive for the club in the future.

Russ, what’s your message to players past and present and to those looking over fancying a shot in the famous Amber & Black?

RE: The message I would say to anyone as a past player is the door is never closed for them. For players wanting to join the club, it’s come with the right motives not to fill your pockets but to fulfil your potential and make a name for yourself and hopefully get a move up the ladder, and we as a club would help you all the way. It will be a good ride I promise you. To the talented pool of younger lads, work hard at this club and you get your rewards. This club produced Dom Calvert –Lewin and many others who are making a great living in the pro game, but it has also produced many other lads who are playing at great levels in the non-league pyramid, and as recent years have shown we’ve had loads of lads make the 1st team grade. My track record of developing young men into competent 1st team players is up there with anyone’s at this level and the level above. These aren’t shallow words... the future is very, very bright here at Handsworth.

What can the watching public expect of this season’s Handsworth squad?

RE: As I said before we will be very competitive and we will have a way of playing this season which will be the way we want to play throughout the club and youth will be a big part of our plans. One thing I have learnt over the years (and none more so than in our double winning season here at Handsworth) is that if you want it and are good enough, age means nothing.

LF: We want players who want to play for the badge. Players who are hard working, ambitious, proud and who reflect the club’s values alongside an attractive playing style and some real homegrown talent on show.

What key message do you want to send out about the forthcoming season?

RE: My message is always the same … win the league! Win the FA vase, League Cup, and Semi Final of The FA Cup! if you don’t set your stall out to win things, there’s no point doing this job, any gaffer worth his salt will tell you the same I’m sure.

The only thing I would say is come and watch us, see what we are about and judge us at the end of the season. The league table never lies and we will either be up there or I will be eating humble pie.

LF:
Simple for me ....

Positivity
Opportunity
Togetherness

Exciting times ahead!!

Russ, can you confirm any signings yet?

RE: We now have the magic forms that other clubs have had for weeks so we will be announcing some signings after this week.

We obviously had some stand out performances from some of our young players especially towards the end of the season what are your thoughts on the in-house talent available?

RE: This club has a massive in-house talent pool, it always has!!

And this is no fluke, the coaches in the junior and youth ranks are excellent, from Bob’s Pre Under 7 Academy right through to the youth teams, we have an army of fantastic people on and off the pitch who make sure the right things are done EVERYTIME!

Hopefully more will join when they see the pathway they can have to the 1st team. It’s an open door for them if they fancy it, and if I think they are good enough they will play

Pre-season training starts on Thursday 7pm at Olivers Mount, what’s your message to anyone who fancies taking a step up from the youth ranks or someone who fancies a change of scenery ( and what can they expect from the 1st few sessions)?

RE: I’m really looking forward to pre-season starting on Thursday and everyone from within is invited. Just give it a go and to be fair, don’t have your tea before you come! Bring your running shoes and oxygen as the first few sessions will be tough I promise, but we will all be in the Ambers Bar afterwards sharing a pint and a laugh!

On that note, how important is a good changing room?

RE: A good changing room is the most important thing at this level, you can’t have cliques. During the season you see your teammates more than your family and you need to trust the bloke sat at the side of you. I can honestly say I have never had a bad one (changing room) and if it looked like it would happen I would nip it in the bud. My players reflect me and I will give them everything I can and expect the same back.

LF: The culture is of the highest importance, it can’t be reiterated enough. We don’t just want players with good technical ability but also with the right mindset. The individual’s personality is essential to what we want to achieve. This message will be hammered home from the beginning, if you don’t fit the Handsworth DNA you will be gone. The best culture eats the best strategy when it doesn’t work hard. If we can instil the right values alongside the tactical elements, I am positive we will have more
success than failures over the course of the season.

Finally, how far off being able to publish the pre-season schedule and we hear we’ve some news on its way with regards an excellent coaching appointment?

RE: We’re just waiting on a couple of confirmations re pre-season but should have the full schedule out for next week, and as for the coaching appointment, it’s a superb one that will benefit this club now and for years to come, he’s a very talented young man (watch this space).

Any final messages?

RE: Without sounding clichéd, this club is special and Luke and I are honoured to be the 1st team Management team. You hear a lot of generic stuff about the people behind the scenes at clubs, but this club is the real deal with real people who live and breathe this club 24/7, 365 days a year, and our actions as a 1st team must do every single Board member, volunteer, helper, coach, player and supporter proud. They are a tough lot but they are together as one ... I suppose that is what Real Football ...Made In Sheffield means.... it means HANDSWORTH!

We thank Russ and Luke for their time, and please keep an eye open for news of our new coaching appointment, pre-season schedule as well as sponsorship and season ticket offers for our new season and new chapter..... UP THE AMBERS !!!!