Struggling State League NW1 club Altona East Phoenix, currently languishing at the lower end of the ladder, has turned to one of Altona’s most famous footballing sons, former Socceroo legend Alan Davidson, to help it rise from the ashes and save the club from relegation.
Phoenix announced the appointment of 57-year-old Davidson as senior coach for the rest of the season, replacing the departed Allan Vella. Initially engaged by friend and club president Jim Dimitriou to help as an advisor to coach Vella, Davidson found himself holding the reins after Vella announced his resignation last week. And with just one training session to prepare the team, Davidson coached the team to victory in his first game in charge last Saturday, a 2-1 home win over Keilor Park thanks to goals from Anthony Giannopoulos and Julian Cassano.
It was just the team’s second win in 11 games this season, halting a run of five straight losses and lifting the team off the bottom of the ladder.
With just 11 goals scored this season, the lowest tally in the league, Davidson and the club face the task of improving the team’s attacking power and will be hoping to recruit new players to strengthen the team.
With 79 caps for the Socceroos, a season at English first division club Nottingham Forest under legendary coach Brian Clough, and more than 300 NSL appearances with South Melbourne and Melbourne Croatia, Davidson brings a vast amount of playing experience to his role as coach. His most recent coaching job was as coach of South Melbourne’s womens team in the 2014 WNPL.
And now with just 11 matches remaining to coach the team to safety in this division, Davidson’s next immediate challenge couldn’t get much more difficult as he prepares the Phoenix team for this Saturday’s Paisley Park derby against league leader and title favourite Altona Magic, coached by a former teammate and former Socceroo Goran Lozanovski.
Speaking to local paper Star Weekly, Phoenix president Dimitriou said ahead of the derby match, “We’re not just going to roll over. We’re going to go out and fight and you never know.”
