PETERBOROUGH LEAGUE: Tom took over a team with no home, no players and no hope

Florence took over as manager of a club with no home and no players three weeks before the start of the Peterborough Premier Division season.

It’s been a tough slog for the club who play home games at Campbell Drive in the city while trying to ensure facilities at Thorney Park are upgraded, but last Saturday’s (December 9) 1-0 win over Crowland was a third win in four matches. Thorney are still bottom, but now within two points of Uppingham.

“It’s been hard work, but we are getting there,” Florence stated. “I’ve been a Thorney player for years and I didn’t want the club to die. When I took over we didn’t have a single player signed on so it’s no surprise we weren’t competitive in the first few weeks.

“But we’ve started to attract a few players back to the club, and made some new signings, and the commitment has been superb in recent weeks.

“George Edwards is my best mate so I tugged on his heart-strings to get him to come back and he’s been a key player even though we’ve converted him from a centre-back to a centre-forward.

“But I want to place on record my thanks to those players who have stuck with us all season. It would have been the easiest thing in the world to ask for a move after we lost the first 12 matches, but no-one did.”

Edwards scored the winner from a set-piece against Crowland 10 minutes from time.

It will be tough for Thorney to extend their run as title-chasing Pinchbeck are their visitors this Saturday (December 16).