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Maidstone United boss John Still says he would build a statue of former manager Jay Saunders

New boss John Still says he would build a statue of former Maidstone manager Jay Saunders outside the Gallagher Stadium.

Saunders won three promotions in four seasons during seven years in charge as United reached the National League.

He twice kept them in the division but a mixed start to this season saw him leave by mutual consent at the end of August.

How a statue of Jay Saunders outside the Gallagher might look Graphic: James Norris
How a statue of Jay Saunders outside the Gallagher might look Graphic: James Norris

Still, speaking on his first day back at Maidstone, said: "What was achieved here with Jay was incredible, absolutely incredible, to come through the leagues.

“Me, I’d build a statue of Jay outside.

“For whatever reason, someone felt a change had to be made, it’s football, and sometimes things happen very quickly and run away from you, which may have happened here.

"When I think of a stable football club, I try to use an analogy where you can have the best house in the world but you need the foundations.

New Maidstone boss John Still Picture: Andy Payton
New Maidstone boss John Still Picture: Andy Payton

“Sometimes things happen that quick you haven’t got a chance to build them.

"If something’s going that great, you just keep topping up, but there comes a time when it doesn’t happen for a variety of reasons.

“It happens a lot in the Premier League where teams can be fortunate getting up through the play-offs when they haven’t got the best this, the best that, and it’s hard to stay there because they haven’t got the foundations and it happens too quick.

“Sometimes you have to step back and make sure the foundations are solid.”

Former Maidstone manager Jay Saunders Picture: Andy Jones
Former Maidstone manager Jay Saunders Picture: Andy Jones
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