Returning Whitchurch Alport boss Luke Goddard admits he needed some convincing and assurances before agreeing to take the reins at Yockings Park again.

Goddard was confirmed as Matt Burton’s replacement as Reds boss last week, where he promptly pledged to work his hardest to bring the good times back.

But having filled a number of roles at Alport, including chairman and groundsman, while trying to oversee the Reds’ successful North West Counties Premier Division promotion campaign in 2018, Goddard admits the promise of just being able to manage is what appealed most.

“When Tony[Rogers] first pitched the idea to me it wasn’t something that I agreed to straight away,” said Goddard, who has been leading Alport’s stability off the pitch as co-chairman.

“Obviously we enjoyed some success together before I handed over the reins to Matt and unfortunately things didn’t quite work out the way I envisaged, where I’d hoped to help push the club forward.

“I didn’t want to come back and find myself in the same position I was in back in October where I was doing too much and putting myself under increasing pressure.

“So it was important to be given assurances that my focus would be solely on running the first team.

“Additionally, I didn’t agree to take the Whitchurch job just so that I had something to do on a Saturday afternoon.

“I didn’t want the club simply to survive and meander around mid-table, it deserves success and I truly believe we can enjoy more good times together.

“There’s a lot of work being done off the field and it’s my job to make sure that when it is safe to return to football, our fans will have plenty to look forward to and hopefully enjoy watching us play again.”