Stuart Maynard today responded to his abrupt departure as manager of York City.
Maynard was sacked last Sunday, 13 weeks after leading City to a record points total and promotion back to the Football League for the first time in ten years.
Many fans were shocked and dismayed by the move by club owners Matt and Julie-Anne Uggla.
They said their decision “comes down to a difference in direction and vision for the football club”.
Maynard today broke his silence over his dismissal in a statement via the League Managers Association website.
Maynard says he has been “overwhelmed by the messages of support I have received on social media over the past few days. I have read and appreciated every single one.”
He says he feels “honoured and privileged” to have guided City back into the EFL after 10 years of heartache for the supporters.
Maynard paid tribute to “a special group of players” and the backroom staff who helped the team to the National League championship.
He doesn’t address the nature of his dismissal in his statement, but simply thanks Julie-Anne and Matt Uggla for the opportunity.
Maynard finishes by referencing the incredible end to the season, where York City won promotion deep into added time thanks to a late goal against title rivals Rochdale.
“The last game of the season is one I will probably never experience again as a manager, and to have experienced it with you all will last me a lifetime,” he writes.
“The strong bond we built between management, players and you, the supporters, felt like one big family, and we were all in it together on the journey back to the EFL.
“You are the heartbeat of the club, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”
The full statement is below.
Fan reactions
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Class to the end. What a guy. Thank you Stu.
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Good luck wherever you go Stu and thank you very much for all your hard work. It was a season like we’ve never seen before and will never see again and you and your boys gave us that and the Ugglas provided you all with the opportunity. It’s sad that we couldn’t see more but I will cherish that as the best I’ve seen in my 62 years of support and the best I will ever see.
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So ridiculous, this is why virtually the entire fanbase is so upset with the departure
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A lot more gracious than his treatment deserved. Best of luck Stu.
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A message full of class, thanks for the best York City season I’ve ever experienced
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What a true gent. Massive respect. Still can’t believe it happened. He fully deserves a shot much further up the pyramid. Been seriously impressed as to how he has gone about his work at City.
Stuart Maynard’s full statement
“Firstly, I’m overwhelmed by the messages of support I have received on social media over the past few days. I have read and appreciated every single one.
“I feel honoured and privileged to have guided York City back into the EFL, where they rightly belong after 10 years of heartache for the supporters.
“Joao and I couldn’t have achieved any of this success without our dedicated and hard-working management team: Steve, Gary, Olly, Dan, Diego, Sam, Lewis and Kev. Their commitment and belief was incredible.
“Without this special group of players, none of what we achieved would have been possible. Their never-give-up attitude saw us scoring late winners and equalisers. This is what we all saw in the last game of the season. With the chaos happening around us after Rochdale had scored, the skipper calmly told me, ‘We have one more chance, gaffer’, and the rest is history. I am proud of you all for the hard work you put into every training session and game.
“There are also so many unsung heroes who were part of last season’s success: Ed, Ryan, Pete, Wayne, Kevin and so many others, working tirelessly behind the scenes. Adam, Tom and Matthew captured the season’s highs and lows through their photography.
“Our wonderful club secretary, Lisa, also played such a key part in the success of our season, keeping everything organised and running smoothly behind the scenes so we could focus solely on the football.
“Thank you to Julie-Anne and Matt for giving me the opportunity to be the manager of this great club.
“To the fans – thank you for welcoming me into your club and your city. For supporting the management team, for travelling up and down the country supporting the players and supporting your club. I’ll never forget how you always got behind the team, even when the results weren’t going our way. So many memories made, and many club records broken together.
“The last game of the season is one I will probably never experience again as a manager, and to have experienced it with you all will last me a lifetime. The strong bond we built between management, players and you, the supporters, felt like one big family, and we were all in it together on the journey back to the EFL. You are the heartbeat of the club, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”
Stuart Maynard