John Salomon will be leaving his role as Manager and General Manager of Watford Ladies FC at the end of the current season. The London Bees game on the 18th October will be Salomon’s last at the club, as he begins a new job at the FA the following day.
The 30-year-old began his involvement with Watford back in June 2008 and has helped grow the ladies set-up on and off the pitch in many different capacities over the last seven years.
With relegation from the Premier League looming back in 2011, Salomon was handed the reigns as first team manager. He led the team to a great escape, with the Golden Girls picking up a remarkable 16 points from the last seven games. As a result of his efforts in steering the club to safety, he was given the Premier League Coach of the Year award.
The upward trajectory continued the following season. Watford LFC managed more than two points per game in the league but were just beaten to first place by Sunderland.
2014 saw the introduction of a second tier in the Women’s Super League, with the club’s application to join accepted.
Over the last two seasons, John has continued as manager of the first team but with the added responsibility of being General Manager. During those two years, he’s overseen a number of improvements, especially off the pitch. Most noticeably, a remarkable 1,102 were in attendance for Watford Ladies’ game against Aston Villa at Vicarage Road.
“I’ve been at the club for more than seven years and it has been an amazing experience,” explains Salomon. “I’ve been proud to work for the club I have supported all my life and it was always going to be a difficult decision to leave.”
“When I took over as first team manager we set a series of targets with our main focus set on becoming a Super League team. We achieved that and the challenge for the club now is to become more competitive at that level.”
“The WSL has a different culture to the league we came from, our first two seasons at this level have enabled the club to understand what is needed in order to build a squad capable of competing. I’m confident that we’ll see the club continue to progress in the coming years both on and off the pitch.”
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here and will take many fond memories away. I have had the pleasure of working with some great players and people who have made the years such a fantastic experience. I’d like to thank everyone who has been a part of this journey and wish everyone connected to the club the very best for the future.”
Watford Ladies FC said that they wish John well in his new position and thanked him for his hard work and many successes over the last seven years.
We look forward to the news of new appointments to both positions.
