Smith and Dix set to swap Tredworth for Lydney after departure announced
Management duo Lee Smith and Adam Dix are set to be announced Co-Managers of Lydney Town, following the announcement of their departure from Tredworth Tigers.
Following Tredworth’s 9-0 win over Cheltenham Saracens Development in the GFA Senior Amateur Cup, the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League side announced on social media that the pair would be leaving the club.
In the announcement, the club also confirmed that the rumours of Smith and Dix’s imminent arrival at Lydney Town were true and they wished the pair well.
Speaking to Severn Sport following the news, Smith admits that the decision to leave was a hard one for both him and his Managing partner.
“It was a massively hard decision to be honest,” admitted Smith. “I spoke with my family, as did Dixie [Dix], as well as each other when we were offered the job.
To be honest, it was a shock to be approached, but a good one. We decided to meet the club and it felt right from the off and we spoke about it on the way home and were in agreement that not only was the time right, the opportunity was too.
I’ve always said loyalty and respect is something you need and our circle of me, Adam and Warren Evans is all there. We trust that we can work together at all levels, as we are all good at different aspects of the game.
Realistically, with the ambition we have, to make the jump up to the Hellenic was too good to turn down,” Smith added.
The pair leave Tredworth after six and half seasons, having guided the Tigers from the Stroud League up into a 3rd place finish in the GNSL Division One table last season, in a year that also saw them finish runners-up in the Reg Davis Cup.
Evans will make up part of the back room staff at Lydney, with Town in 19th place in the Hellenic Premier table and it sees the Management team make a move up three levels in the non-league pyramid and Smith admits that whilst the aim is to keep Lydney in the division, he hopes his experience and links within Hellenic League football can help him and Dix turn Lydney’s fortunes around.
“When I got the call to offer us the job, I was so happy and proud, of course, but also gutted as we have built so much at Tredworth, but as I said the opportunity was too good to turn down.
I’ve been there, done it, as a player, been lucky enough to win so many titles and play for so many good non-league sides, so hopefully that will help us with the journey.
Ultimately, I am proud to say that me and Adam are now managers in the Hellenic Premier, it is going to be a rollercoaster.
We want to stay up. That’s the aim. We know that the club want to stay up and whilst it has been a hard first month, we know the game now and it won’t faze us.
Working with Dixie as been brilliant and it will only get better now my boots with gather some dust! We will give it our best shot and hopefully do Lydney Town proud as a club!” Smith said.
The first game of the Smith/Dix reign at Lydney starts with an away trip to one of Smith’s former sides, Cirencester Town, in a massive game at the bottom end of the table – with a big six pointer at home to Brimscombe & Thrupp on Saturday 9 November, which follows a home game with Corsham Town.
