Former Grecians Given Management Roles by Eastleigh

Newly promoted Eastleigh have promoted a couple of former Exeter City players in  defender, Chris Todd and striker Craig McAllister.  Chris Todd, 32, will be player/coach next season while Craig McAllister, 33, will become player/assistant manager. Both players have had a good season playing pivotal roles as Eastleigh secured promotion. They player alongside former Exeter targetman Stuart Fleetwood.

Richard Hill be looking to boost the non playing side of the Spitfires as they look to consolidate their place in the Conference Premier. Both players are expected to be key players and Hill believes that the dual roles will be “win-win for all of us”.

Hill said that Macca’s at an age now where I sat down with him and said ‘what do you want to do with the rest of your life?’ I asked him if he wanted to move over to ‘the dark side’ which is what our lads call the coaching side of football! Hill continues:-

It’s no secret that I’ve got a lot of admiration for Macca. I’ve tapped into his knowledge and contacts on more than one occasion.

I’m not doing him a favour asking him to come and work with me, I’m doing it because I think he’s got something to offer the club going forward.

Eastleigh have also said that the same goes for Welshman Todd who carved out a successful Football League career with Swansea, Exeter and Torquay. There statement reminded us that Todd’s greatest victory was  overcoming leukaemia and raising money for research into the illness through his book ‘More than Football in the Blood’.

Richard said on Chris Todd:-

The whole Chris Todd story has been inspirational. You don’t get through adversity without battling, whether it’s in your work or personal life, and I like those qualities in my team.

I want Macca and Toddy to want to be better (at coaching and managing) than I am. They might be already, but we don’t know that yet because they haven’t had the chance.

I shall still be on the training ground overseeing things because I have to be mindful that these two young men have a lot to contribute as players.