Relationship trouble in town
NEIGHBOURLY relations have been strained after Horsham made an approach for YMCA's Ellis Hooper.
Horsham boss John Maggs put in a seven-dayer for the defender earlier in the season but did not follow it up by chatting to the player because the Hornets were flying at the time.
John Suter, YM manager, felt that could have unsettled one of his star players had Hooper expressed an interest to leave Gorings Mead.
Suter commented: "I'm enormously disappointed that they didn't speak to him.
"If you put in an approach for a player you have an obligation to speak to him.
"I told him [Hooper] about the approach, which could have unsettled him. Fortunately Ellis had virtually made up his mind he wasn't going to go unless it was a stonking offer otherwise it would have made him look pretty foolish.
"I don't want to fall out with anyone but it's not the right thing to do," he added.
"Jeff [Barrett] said he was embarrassed to make the approach, Maggsy [Maggs] spoke to me about it and that's fine. That is football. But just to ignore him - that wasn't very neighbourly.
When asked about the approach for Hooper Maggs said: "I cooled down on that because we were flying at the time.
"I had three centre halves doing really well but things have changed since then but I cannot go back to Ellis.
"There was a period where he went missing, I went over to attempt to watch him against Dulwich Hamlet and he didn't play. If I had have seen him I would have taken it further and said something.
"We were going well then and time has run out now," added Maggs.
"Ellis shouldn't even know anything about it if it was done properly, so shouldn't have been unsettled.
"But I suppose as a club you would say to him Horsham have come in.
"I'm not making a big issue about it," remarked the Horsham supremo.
Suter quipped: "You have your 14 days to approach a player and they've missed it.
"Mind you, the way he is playing they probably wouldn't want him now."
Hooper was flattered by the interest from the Ryman Premier League side, he said: "It was a bit disappointing but I was quite pleased they were interested in me.
"I must have been playing OK."
"I was disappointed I never got the chance to talk to them.
"That could have put nieSn an awkward situation if I said to John [Suter] that I wanted to go.
"It could have reflected badly on me.
"I would have stayed to be honest because it is Horsham YMCA's time in this league and playing in certain cups."
He added: "I said to John it was never in doubt, I would have spoken to them [Horsham] but it would have taken something pretty special, I was 99 per cent sure I wouldn't have gone.
"It was disappointing, he could have phoned me and said they've changed their minds."
Whilst YM have kept hold of Hooper, they have lost the services of Kevin Keehan to Burgess Hill and Dave Gellatly has returned to East Grinstead.
Keehan, who has been plagued by injury over the last four years needs to be playing football regularly and he can do that at a decent reserve standard with Burgess Hill.