Setchell admits he would love 'another crack' at a Corby Town 'in a different space'

The 50-year-old stood down as Steelmen boss last week after owners James Longley and Paul Glass asked him, his staff and players to take a 30 per cent pay cut to ease the financial pressure growing on the club.

Setchell decided such a cut would make things impossible for Corby to have any chance of maintaining their promotion play-off challenge in the Pitching-In Northern Premier League Midlands Division, and opted to move on after three years in charge at Jimmy Kane Way.

He left the Steelmen sitting sixth in the table, having secured a runners-up finish last season before suffering an agonising 2-1 defeat to Worcester City in the play-off final in front of a packed crowd of more than 2,500.

Setchell set his sights on promotion to Step 3 when he joined the club in January, 2023, and although he ultimately couldn't make that happen, he admits he had a great time trying.

"I have absolutely loved my time at Corby, the highs, the lows, the indifferent times," declared Setchell.

"Walking out in the play-off final last season and seeing the James Ashworth stand was something I will never forget, that was unbelievable.

"I would like to thank the fans for being 100 per cent with me from day one, although obviously you can't always please everyone, but I have had close to a 55 per cent win rate at Corby which is not a bad return, and I feel I have done a decent job.

"The Corby chapter of my career is one I will have fond memories of, and in a different time, with a lot of different things in place, I would jump at the chance to go back and manage at that football club.

"It is a very, very good club, which in my opinion is not being run to its full potential by a long chalk."

Setchell spoke out ahead of him leaving the club, stating the current model of the way Corby is being run is a 'prehistoric' one, pointing to the ambitious and forward-thinking exploits of Harborough Town a few miles own the road as the example to follow.

And he admitted: "I am so frustrated with the whole thing. The same things get said at the start of every season, and nothing ever gets done, and that is really, really annoying.

"There are a lot of good people at Corby, I have had good relationships with them all, I have not really crossed paths with anybody, and I know the club now has to put a spin on things and I will probably get blamed for this and that, but that is part and parcel of it.

"People deflect the truth, but I have been nothing but truthful in every interview I have done and I will challenge anybody who says otherwise.

"I would love to see Corby do well, the club deserves to do well.

"I have been around a long time, and Corby is a really tough gig, so to get it as close as we did last season I think that was the maximum we could do.

"I think we would have got into the play-offs this year as well for sure, and we would have been two games away from promotion again, but we will never know now.

"So I apologise we couldn't get the promotion, but I am proud of what we achieved there.

"I don't think I am done yet, and like I said I would like to have another crack at Corby in a different space."

It's fairly certain that call won't be coming any time too soon though, so what are Setchell's plans now he is without a job in football?

"I am waiting for the phone to ring and have had one or two calls about various things," he revealed.

"I might end up going to help out somewhere for a bit until something comes along, but my place really and truthfully is in the dugout, and in the dressing room.

"If I can help someone out inbetween now and my next job then I will if I think it is of value to them and value to me, and if it isn't then unfortunately for my partner I will spend some time at home!"