Bristol Manor Farm Football Club is thrilled to announce the arrival of Liam Harding as their new First-Team Coach. Joining from Roman Glass, Harding’s addition to the coaching staff has been warmly received by the club, which believes his experience and expertise will greatly benefit the Portwaymen ahead of the 2023/24 season. The new coach will work closely with Manager Lee Lashenko and Assistant Manager Grantley Dicks, enhancing the club’s coaching setup.
Manager Lee Lashenko expressed his delight over the appointment, stating, “Liam is someone that has been on the radar for a number of seasons now, and I’m delighted that he will be working with myself and Assistant Manager, Grantley, for next season. We made our approach at the beginning of last week and reached an agreement last Friday. I’m pleased that we went about our business correctly, and it’s another great appointment for our backroom staff.
“He’s a coach that I have the utmost respect for, and I really believe that we can give him the tools to succeed in his step up to Bristol Manor Farm Football Club.”
Harding’s career was spent majoritively in the Southern League, playing for successful teams including seven seasons at Evesham United who were in and around the play-offs during that time. From then, Harding garnered experience at Step 5 with Roman Glass, and last season helped guide the club to their highest league finish, their best cup run for 69 years, and their GFA Challenge Cup triumph.
Upon joining Bristol Manor Farm, Liam Harding shared his excitement and eagerness to contribute to the club’s success. He said, “It’s been a whirlwind week or so, but I am delighted to be joining Bristol Manor Farm which is another club with fantastic heritage in the local area. This is a team who recently played in a play-off final, and finished last season as one of the league’s strongest sides. I know that the quality is there at the club, and I’m looking forward to working with Lee and Grant to get the club challenging at the top again.”
Harding has worked closely with one player in particular in recent seasons, new Farm goalkeeper Seth Locke, and believes their addition is a great example of how the club is ‘aiming to progress’.
“For someone of his age, Seth’s a fantastic goalkeeper who has played more than 100 matches at Step 5. I know that he was held in high regard at Frome Town, and it shows the intentions of club and how they want to progress with the blend of youthfulness and experience. I’m sure he will be another success story here at Bristol Manor Farm.”
With pre-season starting in a few short weeks time, Manager Lashenko’s new coach is raring to go ahead of what’s set to be another thrilling Southern League campaign.
“I’m really looking forward to getting to know the whole squad of players, as well as some familiar faces. I spent many seasons playing against Steve Kingdon for example, so it will be great to work with him for next season.”
The addition of Liam Harding to the coaching staff demonstrates Bristol Manor Farm’s commitment to strengthening their team on and off the field. With a renewed coaching setup, the club and its supporters look forward to seeing Harding’s impact on the team’s development and future success.
Welcome to the club, Liam!
