“I want to be competitive, and be amongst the front runners, but we can only achieve this through hard work, commitment, and good attitude”.  — Josh White

Josh White takes up the reins as Chichester City under 18 manager for next season, bringing with him Simon Robins, Alex Chinery, and Lloyd Coote. He spoke about his background in football and his hopes for City next season.

I played football locally throughout my childhood up to under 18’s mainly for my local side Felpham Colts, also I had spells at Predators for a few years, Littlehampton and back to Felpham Colts. 

My coach Alex Chinery and I both played in the same Felpham Colts side for many years, and we decided to finish playing together at Felpham Colts under 18 team in the Arun & Chichester Youth Football League. After finishing school, I then went to Southdowns College, and played college football for 2 years. At that time, their youth set up was through Havant & Waterlooville, so I got to train with good, experienced coaches. 

I then stopped playing for 3 years and started playing again for Nyetimber Pirates. I stayed at Nyetimber Pirates until the team folded in 2020. I haven’t played this season, with the end of the Pirates and Covid kicking in, I thought I’d stop playing and concentrate on the Pagham Under 18’s. 

I have not missed playing, I am 26 now and I have played from an early age. I enjoy being on the side lines and still involved in football. 

I started my non-playing life at Littlehampton as a coach for their under 16’s for the first year, then I got involved coaching the Under 15’s who were struggling a bit after being promoted to the ACYFL Division B, we managed to avoided relegation. I then stayed with the U15’s into U16’s after avoiding relegation and after making some good signings and finished mid-table.  

In my last 2 years at Littlehampton, I stayed with the U16’s as the progressed into U18’s. I coached the Under 18’s with Simon Robins. The team was managed by Michael Holland but he wasn’t a manager in the conventional sense. He oversaw the team as a whole and was a direct link between the club and the team. 

Simon and I brought most of the players in and picked the starting eleven. We finished 4th in the first season in the ACYFL A Division. Me and Simon built on that season and recruited more players and assembled a very good squad. We won the A Division undefeated, winning all but one game which was away at Lancing drawing 1-1. We also reached the cup final, but that could not be played due to Covid. 

With the Littlehampton side being too old for the next season and the majority of the squad going to university, I decided to leave and was on the look out for another club. Pagham who were looking for an Under 18 manager got in contact and asked if I wanted the job. 

I brought Simon Robins over with me, and also I contacted Alex Chinery who had just finished with the Bognor under 16’s to join me as well. Luckily as I had no players at that time, Alex brought 8 of his players from Bognor. We also recruited 12 players from trials we held. 

This was the time I found my feet as a manager, becoming the 18’s direct link to the club, dealing with the players, linking in with the under 23’s. So, it was a good learning curve for me as I had only been a coach. 

Simon will mainly be working with the back four, being an old head, and having been longer in football, he will make sure the defence is organized and the players are doing their jobs. In fact, if we won all our games 1-0, he would be the happiest man alive! 

Alex and Lloyd will be overseeing the tactical side of the game and work with the midfield and forwards. We have all agreed on a shape and style we want to play, and over the coming months will instill that philosophy into the players. I am looking forward to working with Alex and Simon again as well as Lloyd joining the coaching set up.  

As a manager and a coach, I always want my players to have the right attitude and a good work ethic. Players need to listen to what myself and my coaches want from them. I want to be competitive, and be amongst the front runners for the league, but we can only achieve this through hard work, commitment, and good attitude. I will be blunt in my opinions on how the team are progressing and will make changes if anyone’s attitude or effort falls short. 

I would like to match the levels of football that the first team and U23’s have shown over the past couple of seasons. I would like to ensure the players brought in to the U18’s are able to progress through the club and provide competition for places. The players will be part of a competitive squad and will need to ensure they work hard in order to progress as players and individuals.  

I’m looking forward to next season and can’t wait to get started at Chichester City FC. I am grateful for the opportunity I have been given and I am looking to do the best job I possibly can.