RICHARD LANGLEY was still coming to terms this week with his surprise elevation to the post of Dover Athletic first-team manager.

The 46-year-old building firm director, who had been Whites’ reserves and under-18 team boss, admitted: “The past week has been manic.

“Clive (Walker) went last Tuesday afternoon and then three hours later Mark Patterson and I were meeting the players to give them the news.”

Langley, who played Kent League football for Deal Town in the early 1980s, was boss of Kent County League Sellindge four years ago but has no managerial experience at Dr Martens League level.

However, he will have the Football League playing knowledge of new first-team coach Patterson to call on and insisted: “This is a fantastic opportunity for me. There was a little bit of hesitancy on my part when I was first offered it, but at the end of the day you have to say to yourself, ‘If you don’t take this opportunity you could kick yourself for ever more’.

“I know that there are people at the club who have played at a higher level than me. But whether that makes you a better manager is a moot point because being a manager is all about making sure things are right in the dressing room.

“And the one big advantage I do have is the quality of the players who are at the club. It’s not as if I am taking over a team who are bottom of the league, and I’ve also got ‘Patto’ to lean on with his wealth of playing experience.”

Langley, who lives in Folkestone, stressed that he will have the final say over team selection and he could hardly have wished for a better start than last Saturday’s 3-2 home win over high-flying Nuneaton.

Walker, for one, would not have been surprised by that result because he remained convinced until the end that Whites are still a good side, despite this season’s mediocre form, and Langley added: “I have got a lot of respect for Clive and will probably never have the amount of football knowledge he has.

“He was instrumental in making me reserve team manager and so I have got a lot to thank him for.”

Walker’s sacking, or departure by ‘mutual consent’ according to the board, has angered some fans but chairman Mick Kemp and his fellow directors are standing firm in the belief that it was one of those unpleasant decisions that sometimes have to be taken in football.