Tommy Widdrington makes an admission as he opens up on departing managerial roles at Eastbourne Borough and Aldershot Town.
He spoke about his sacking from Eastbourne Borough after a four-month second spell, with the club sat bottom of National League South at the time having won one of eight games. Boro ended the season 24th with 36 points.
The 54 year old also revealed to BBC Sport that he should have left the Shots immediately following his side’s FA Trophy win in May 2025, after growing frustrations with the playing budget.
He also spoke of his memories and thoughts on the current side, who finished 20th place, sitting 4 points above the relegation zone.
🗣️ “We didn’t get the time to see it through.”
⚽️ Tommy Widdrington (@TommyWidd) talks about his departure from #EastbourneBorough in this special podcast. #AldershotTown
🎧 https://t.co/1SLgXOqN66 pic.twitter.com/A3gq3tHLlf
— BBC Sport Sussex (@BBCSussexSport) June 19, 2026
Widdrington on Eastbourne: “I got it wrong because they had a squad a hair’s breadth away from getting out of the division the season before to then absolute brand new group of lads.
“And I went through the squad and I had individual chats with all the players in the short time I was there.
“And you wouldn’t believe the amount of players who hadn’t played that many games at National League South. was a load of lads there who were potentially going to be good players, but they were young. They played at step three and four.
“They might have played at youth level, at a good level, you know, in the Football League, but really they hadn’t played much senior football.
“And that, in my opinion, was the biggest sort of stumbling block for them. Not for the football club. They were put in a position of expectation, most of them boys had never ever had that.
“And that’s something that’s difficult. mean, somebody like Craig Eastman who’s been around the block, I fell for him because I had lots of conversations with Craig and he’s a top lad, he’s a top player and he’s top pro in all senses of word and I just felt somebody like him he couldn’t really affect the dressing room in the manner that I thought he might and that’s just because they weren’t on the same level as him mentally, physically, experienced wise and what have you so there was a little bit of a discord I felt and ultimately when I started changing faces in the dressing room that’s going to take time and we didn’t get enough time to see it through so you know that’s the disappointing thing but like I said
“I’m old enough and ugly enough and daft enough to understand how football works and if people aren’t happy and they pay the wages then they’re entitled to remove you.
“Just not sure I saw the full side of the bargain that was all.
Interviewer: “I mean I have to say what they said and they said in their statement when you left well he was given the resources that he requested that’s what they said in their statement.”
Widdrington: “Well I mean listen I’m not gonna uncover things that I spoke about in boardrooms or private conversations between me and CEOs and owners and what have you, but ultimately there was numerous people that I wanted to bring or wanted to move and it never happened.
“And that wasn’t just because of the player didn’t want to go or another club didn’t want them or another club didn’t want to let a player come to us.
“It was suggested that these players were signed and would be good enough. ou know, and I was like, well, okay, I’ll give them a chance.
“But if I don’t feel that they’re good enough, the way that I want to play the game, then we’ll have to be changed.
“And that was a little bit of a that sort of situation. But look at that, that’s normal. I’ve got no problem with that.
“But ultimately, the power lay and lies with the two people who own and the football club. And they have to take the responsibility on the chin.
“Let’s be honest about it. If they’re going to blame a manager who can’t get a team functioning, someone’s going to blame them for not getting the manager functioning. That’s how it works. They want to be at the of the tree, then they go further default.”
🗣️ “I should have resigned after the Wembley win.”
🔴🔵 Former #AldershotTown boss Tommy Widdrington reveals all from his departure from the club, his memories and thoughts on the current side.
🎧 https://t.co/xTjLRDauVG pic.twitter.com/xXn7JNGHJF
— BBC Sport Surrey (@BBCSurreySport) June 19, 2026
On Aldershot: “People might be a little bit surprised at this, but I should have resigned after the Wembley win. That’s what I should have done.
“Because I just felt… well, because it was a remarkable achievement for us as a football club and staff and the people who backed me upstairs and helped me through my period when I was ill and what have you. And to repair them with that trip to Wembley, I just felt that we would kick on from there.
“And look, we’re 12 months down the road. Two managers have gone since then, think there’s two or three players left in the building from the Wembley squad and everybody thinks everything’s rosy in the garden. It’s not, it’s as simple as that.
“I mean, one of my staff resigned in the summer, Richard Dryden, and he came to me and said, look Tom, they haven’t backed us enough and I don’t feel wanted enough by this football club.
“Not because of what they were paying us. That wasn’t what it was about. It was what we were going to do to back, you know, a push in the…
“I was aware that the club could go pop then,” he said, per BBC Sport.
“It was a shock. We’d had a great first season, got to the third round of the FA Cup [against West Bromwich Albion], and must have made a lot of money out of that.
“[I thought] we were in a great position, we should be kicking on. But I had to cut my cloth.
“The first thing I did was release Rollin Menayese and brought in Dan Ellison, Luca Woodhouse and Will Armitage. Those three equated to Rollin’s wage.
“They were my back three at Wembley and cost me £750 [to bring in]. That was the restraint I was working under.
“Look, we took 19,500 people to Wembley on the 11th of May. The first two three home games we had 2,500 people. Somebody somewhere at our football club did not monetise Wembley well enough, in my opinion.
“Now, I’m not pointing fingers at any one particular person. The football club should have understood, look, you’ve got 19,500 captive audience, you throw 10,000 season tickets out there with £100, they’ll get bought. They will get bought. They’ll not come every week, but they’ll get bought.
“Little things like that, I just felt, you know… I resigned after signing a hundred shirts, hundred certificates and a hundred framed pictures and after I’d done all that then I resigned.”
