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Tales from the National League: How Kelvin Davis made the right call by taking the reins at Eastleigh

Ash Rose
Tales from the National League: How Kelvin Davis made the right call by taking the reins at EastleighDAZN

Kelvin Davis will never forget the moment he decided to take the manager’s job at Eastleigh - because it was the day he was offered two jobs within half an hour of each other. 

It’s not every day a new manager looking for his first job as a number one gets such an opportunity to pick and choose.

But for someone who made a career of being a loyal servant, spending a decade at Southampton, there was never any doubt about cutting his managerial teeth at a club he’d got to know after his had hanged up his gloves.

“When the job came available, it was interesting,” Davis said in an exclusive sit down with DAZN News as part of their exclusive coverage of the National League. 

“I'd been to another game in the day. I actually got offered two jobs in one day.

“From not doing too much for 18 months and then phone rings literally within half an hour of each other. And I was giving someone a lift home.

"He thought that this was normal stuff, but I explained to him it was the first time for me as well. So, yeah, there wasn't a big decision to be made. I knew that my opportunity was best at Eastleigh.” 


Kelvin Davis EastleighGraham Scambler

Before Eastleigh, there was a stellar playing career for Davis, who, as a young goalkeeper, rose through the ranks at Luton Town under the great David Pleat and would later experience the tail end of the ‘Crazy Gang’ era at Wimbledon before really making for a name for himself at Ipswich. 

Two seasons as number one in Suffolk saw him earn a Premier League move to Sunderland. However, things never panned out for the keeper or the club in a difficult season in the North-East.

In 2005, Davis moved to Southampton and began a journey with the club that would last a decade and end in a testimonial – a rare occurrence in today’s modern game. 

“It kind of all felt right.” Davis reflects.

“Obviously, it’s easy to say that after the effect, but turning up there for the first day, it did feel like home. It felt comfortable. And maybe that was due to the experience I had at Sunderland, and there were reasons for that.

"But, to have a negative experience in football, you then understand what a good experience is. Straight away, you look out for sure signs and a feeling.

"It was great to have a 10-year period with my kids going to the same school from start to finish, living in the same house for 10 years - it’s unheard of in football.” 

Those ten years saw Davis stick with Southampton as they were relegated to League One before their Premier League renaissance that saw them finish 6th in 2016, his final campaign at the club in what he calls a ‘ if Carlsberg did an ending of career’. 

Like any retired pro, though, it was then what came next. After donning several hats at Southampton in his post-playing career, Davis felt a call into coaching – especially after getting a taste of being a number one in a one-game caretaker stint with the Saints. 

Which brings us to that phone call, a sliding-door decision where the former goalie went with his gut and agreed to take over as Eastleigh’s new boss. So, the obvious question is, what sold the job to the rookie manager? 

“Over time, as it was on my doorstep, I had built a bit of a relationship up with the club and had a couple of football conversations here and there. 

"I go on a lot of my gut feeling, if I feel it's right, then I'll go and do it. And I think there were always question marks about the level of difference between coaching in the Premier League to the National League. But, you know, I just felt that it was more important to gain the experience and to find a place that felt comfortable and right.” 

That feeling was transmitted to the pitch, as upon his appointment in February, Davis steered the club away from relegation trouble and was rewarded with a new three-year deal.

The owners are keen for steady progression at the club in a notoriously competitive league that’s hard to get out of. Still, both the manager and owners know it’s also about creating an environment that can thrive on whatever trajectory the club finds itself on. 

“There are teams currently playing in the league above and above that with a story of travelling from the National League. And I think you have to do things right off the pitch and you have to create an environment that can handle progression. Because what you don't want, in my opinion, is to just get promoted.

"It's about being sustainable. It's about building an environment that can A, attract supporters, B, attract players, and an environment where we can improve together as a club and ultimately compete in whatever league we're in. 

"I think we could have easily been higher up the league than we are. We could have been lower in the league than we are. So, we're kind of about right, but we're kind of a hungry bunch where we want to improve our league standing. But also, we've got to understand that it's a project that doesn't happen overnight.” 

Eastleigh

That goal is reflected in the club’s current midtable position, where they remain competitive, with an aim to improve on last season’s 13th-place finish and then establish new goals within Davis’s current contract.Graham Scambler

However, having played at the highest level – and managed at Wembley in his brief caretaker role with the Saints – what is it about the National League that sets it apart from the rest of the football pyramid?

“I love the realism of the league,” Davis admits with a big smile on his face.

“I love the fact that you can be on the touchline very much connected to the fans, connected to the supporters. You’re not busting and shepherding through a door, and nobody speaks from the outside.

"It can be quite raw as well. You can have conversations with the fans. I love that side of it. It reminds me very much of growing up and my early days as a footballer playing at Luton. 

"That for me, that's a big attraction to the league. And at a club like ours, I love the fact that you can impact in a lot of areas. You know, it's not just the football, and that's it. 

"If you're looking to build a career in the professional game by that, I mean, as a league manager, it's a great place to begin.” 

And as for that other phone call that night, there are no regrets, despite admitting it was from a team not in the National League. For Davis, it was all about going with his gut, and now he’s concentrating on fulfilling the job with the Spitfires. 

“Since coming in, the first 13 games, mission one was to keep us in the league and settle things down. And mission two is to start a bit of a project. And I feel that's where we are now.”

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