Matt Tubbs has left Havant and Waterlooville to join Gosport Borough as Player/Assistant Manager. “Tubbsy” leaves the Hawks following a one season spell with the club having scored 12 goals from 25 appearances.
In his last interview with the club he spoke about the “camaraderie amongst the players” and have special praise to the coaching staff including manager Lee Bradbury for their “professionalism both on and off the field.”
When asked about what he enjoyed most about being a Hawk he swiftly replied with the “camaraderie amongst the players. That was brilliant. It was one of the best dressing rooms I’ve ever been in with such an honest group of lads. The majority work 9-5 in the day and then do two evening training session a week and then go on long journeys on a Saturday and I think it was that which pulled the team closer together.”
For Tubbs it was his 6thpromotion as a player and his second from the Southern tier of The National League into the Premier division and says last seasons was “right up there.”
“I’m really glad that we got over the line. At the start of the season we thought that we would be a play-off team but again it was that team spirit which helped along the way in gaining promotion and to do it with Havant really is right up there.”
And with the League championship being one to many outsiders as being a surprise, I asked Matt when he believed that the Hawks could go on and win The National League South to which he jovially replied with “the 89thminute when Jason Prior put that ball into the back of the net.”
“It was such as phenomenal season and if you wanted the ball to fall to anyone at that exact moment it would have been Jason Prior but I think Theo Lewis doesn’t get the credit he deserves to have the vision to find that one touch pass to find Jase and then the rest as they say is history.”
And I concluded the interview by asking Tubbsy what his stand out memory was from his time at Westleigh Park. “There’s loads, I wouldn’t say that there is just one. There’s plenty perhaps too many to reel off. Little things like Alfie Rutherford scoring and falling into the net, Henners singing on the way home and Ryan Young’s save which is one of the best I’ve ever seen but the list could go on, it was such a good season to be a Hawks player.”
Tubbsy donned the Hawks jersey with vigour and class, he came as a big name signing, he showed the hallmarks of a great player on the field and showed great humility off it. Despite it only lasting a season, it has been a journey, one he’ll never forget as he slowly ventures from playing to coaching.
Everyone associated with the Football Club would like to thank Matt for the fantastic service in which he gave this Football Club and wish him all the success as he begins his career in the coaching side of the game.
Henry Deacon Media 