Hamlets chief knows Airportmen will be buoyed with a new man in charge

Tower Hamlets manager Ade Abayomi expects Essex Senior League rivals Stansted to be boosted by the arrival of a new man in charge in time for Saturday’s clash.

The Airportmen have named former Clapton boss Michael Walther as their new man in the hotseat, having stepped down following the Tons’ FA Cup exit against Sporting Bengal last weekend.

Abayomi only heard the news of Walther’s appointment at Stansted earlier in the week, having missed Hamlets’ FA Cup 4-2 loss to Sawbridgeworth at the weekend.

And though he says it caught him by surprise, he knows the Airportmen will be buoyed ahead of Saturday’s clash.

“Everyone wants to impress their new manager. I know Michael, so it was a bit of a shock to hear that he had gone to Stansted,” he said.

“I’m sure he’ll fill me in when I see him. He did a really good job at Clapton, so I’m sure he’ll do the same at Stansted and they will improve under him.”

Hamlets suffered something of an embarrassing evening on Monday night when their league clash at home to Ilford was postponed just over two hours before the scheduled kick-off.

An athletics meeting at Mile End Stadium had been scheduled for the same time, leaving Abayomi frustrated as he hoped to use the match to get Hamlets’ FA Cup exit out of their system.

“I’m told we did well in the cup, but we fell just short,” he added.

“Stansted will be a tough team and I’m confident there will be no double booking at the ground this weekend!

“We’ll be trying our hardest to get something out of the game, to keep building and to keep heading towards the goal we set at the start of the season.”