Peterborough Sports boss has been getting the rewards for putting the miles in, and now for the FA Cup

Jimmy Dean celebrates a Peterborough Sports goal. Photo: James Richardson.

Peterborough Sports boss Jimmy Dean makes no secret that he is, first and foremost, a family man.

But his commitment as manager of Peterborough Sports comes a very close second and his two loves in life have been working in tandem over the past week.

The Sports boss made the 470-mile round trip from a family holiday in Devon to be on the touchline for his team’s games against Stourbridge and AFC Rushden & Diamonds over the bank holiday weekend.

Dan Jarvis celebrates a goal for Peterborough Sports against Stourbridge. Photo: James Richardson.

And you can bet they were worthwhile.

He watched his team claim a remarkable 8-4 success over Stourbridge last Saturday before heading back to Devon, only to return to Northamptonshire on Bank Holiday Monday to lead his players to a gritty 1-0 victory at AFC Rushden & Diamonds.

He then, of course, headed back down south to rejoin his family for his holiday safe in the knowledge that Sports are sitting proudly at the top of the Southern League Premier Central with the only perfect record in the division after Maniche Sani’s winner at Hayden Road made it five wins from five matches.

The Sports manager said: “They are 470-mile round trips and you can just imagine what a 235-mile trip would be like if you have lost. It’s hard enough when you win!

Dion Sembie-Ferris celebrates a goal for Peterborough Sports against Stourbridge. Photo: James Richardson.

“I am on holiday with my family. I am a family man first. I brought my boy up with me for the game on Monday and left my two girls down there.

“It’s about finding a balance. I have to commit a lot and I have to make the family time happen and they wanted to go down there. I’d rather go to Hunstanton when it’s 45 minutes up the road!

“But I have to make it work and what makes it easier is the boys having application like they did on Monday and doing things right in training.”

With the fine start to the league season under their belts, Sports switch focus to the Emirates FA Cup this weekend as they take on fellow Step 3 side Haringey Borough at The Bee Arena in the first qualifying round on Saturday (September 4, 3pm).

And Dean admits a bit of rest and recuperation is needed before the Turbines face off against a Haringey side who sit in fourth place in the early stages of the Isthmian League Premier season.

“We need that bit of rest, we are walking wounded,” Dean added. “We were bringing on full-backs and central midfielders to play out wide on Monday and that’s where we are at. It’s been a brutal start and not because we have had a load of games, but more because of the physicality of them. We needed the eight-week pre-season. It was excessive, but vital because we’d had five months without doing anything. You do worry, but you have to manage it the best you can.

“But we move on to Saturday and Haringey Borough are a decent side. We have had them watched, they are at the top end of their division and they play football.

“We will do a bit of work this week, prepare the best we can and get the fittest team we have got out on the pitch on Saturday.”

Other local FA Cup ties this weekend: Saturday, September 4: Tividale v Spalding United, Stamford AFC v Redditch.

Sunday, September 5: Baldock Town v Wisbech Town.