Our General Manager, Keith Barnes, is stepping down from his role to focus on his family.
‘Over the last 10 years I have at the absolute honour of being General Manager of this amazing club. In that time, I have seen us, under the football leadership of Simon McLean, move from a bottom of division two team to a solid division one team with a first ever Division One play-off win on the road. I have worked with many coaches and players, and I am thankful for everything they have done in shaping this club and helping to secure a strong future. We have seen many fields, and I am so happy that we have found a permanent home at Iford with the East Dorset Dockers.
I worked with the team to bring in new uniforms, sponsorships, business partners, established coaching growth and installed an identity that has seen players number increase with many willing to travel from across the country to be a part of the project.
When I joined the club as a player, I was immediately welcomed by Tim Iles and felt a part of something great. When I had the opportunity during my first season to join the management team, I wanted to make the welcome I had a part of the identity of the club and worked with the team to install a vision and ethos around the word ‘family’.
As a team, we focused on bettering each other and choosing to focus on standing up for the player next to you both on and off the field, creating the #BobcatFamily.
I have made the decision to take a step back from overseeing the club to focus on my own mini-ballers, Caleb and Theo, who are a part of the South Coast Spitfires under 11’s flag programme. Taking them to training each Saturday and watching them compete at weekends over the summer will be my project, meaning I cannot give 100% to my Bobcat family (although I’ll still be padding up each week as football is life!)
Thank you to everyone connected to the club who believed in me, allowed be to unconventional and followed both on and off the field.
Thank you to the ‘Brain Trust’, Simon, Jason, David, Davy, Sam and Craig.
Thank you
Keith Barnes
Bournemouth Bobcats 