GLEN Driver has committed himself to manage Felixstowe and Walton United next season.And he will continue to have former Ipswich Town and Millwall midfielder Tony Kinsella as his coach.

Elvin King

GLEN Driver has committed himself to manage Felixstowe and Walton United next season.

And he will continue to have former Ipswich Town and Millwall midfielder Tony Kinsella as his coach.

The recent signing of ex-Tottenham youngster Blake Saker clinched Driver's decision to stay at Dellwood Avenue.

“We signed Blake from fellow Ridgeons League Premier Division Leiston and he cost us a fee,” explained Driver, who was previously in charge of Leiston.

“I had a couple of conversations with chairman Tony Barnes and he said that he would like Tony and myself to carry on.

“And when we put in a seven-day approach for Blake, I went back to him. Tony said that if I felt the signing would take the club forward he would be happy to back me. This positive attitude showed me that there is ambition at Felixstowe and made up my mind to stay.

“Blake has been a revelation and given the whole club a lift. He has had to take a pay cut and full marks to him as he is the sort of quality player we want.”

Driver took over from Steve Potts towards the back end of last year, and originally only committed himself to this campaign.

He is also looking for links with college football and gave a debut at CRC on Wednesday night to 18-year-old Ben Connell, who plays for Colne College based in Essex.

“One of my coaches, Tony Pulford, is a teacher at the college and I went to watch them play and they are good enough to hold their own at Ridgeons League, First Division level,” added Driver.

“We hope to expand the link with the college and go forward in similar ways to CRC who use youngsters from the Cambridge area in their side.

“It is wrong that money should dominate who wins what at our level of the game. And sad that players I have shown interest in at Metaltec SIL level have decided not to move up to the Ridgeons League because they were receiving more money at what I consider to be grass roots football.

“If a player is good enough he is old enough and we have been including 16, 17 and 18-year-olds in our squad in recent weeks.”

Driver has recently become a father for the third time, and has decided to relinquish his position as manager of Sunday side Man on the Moon after 13 years and to concentrate more on Saturday football.

Tomorrow, Felixstowe visit Histon Reserves while Needham Market entertain neighbours Woodbridge Town and Leiston entertain King's Lynn Reserves.

In the First Division, Brantham Athletic and Debenham Leisure Centre lock horns while Ipswich Wanderers and Stowmarket Town are both at home, and Hadleigh can go a step closer to gaining promotion with three points at lowly Fakenham.

There is a full fixture list of Ridgeons League matches on Easter Monday afternoon.