Beckford poised to leave Mossley
Jason Beckford: time right to go, he says
24/04/07
Jason Beckford is quitting Mossley at the end of the season after five years at Seel Park.
As the Rigby family, who have run Mossley since 1997 are standing down, Beckford has decided the time is right to move on.
And despite failing to win over a section of the fans, Beckford says Mossley will always have a special place in his heart.
He said: “I can look back at my time at Mossley with a lot of pride as we have had the most successful period for 20 years and I think my record speaks for itself.
“It was my first job in management and I would like to thank the Rigby family for enabling me to fulfil my ambition.
“Mossley Football Club has been an important part of my life and it will always be the place where it started.”
Beckford had one season as assistant to Ally Pickering before taking charge of the Lilywhites. And Beckford guided them to two promotions in three seasons as they went from North West Counties League division one to the UniBond League premier division.
Beckford admitted the current campaign, which has seen Mossley relegated, has been painful. And he conceded that he was aware that Mossley were in for a difficult campaign, even before it kicked off.
He explained: “We had moved very quickly up the pyramid and to sustain that you need an infrastructure. It was evident we hadn’t, both financially and commercially.
“I remember saying at a fans’ forum two years ago that if we were to be successful on the field we needed to do more off the pitch.
“That has never happened and the club has always relied on the Rigby family, who have been taken for granted.”