Bond holds the fort after Hawkes exit

Wayne Bond is holding the fort at Heybridge Swifts following manager Mark Hawkes departure to take over at Chelmsford City.

Hawkes, along with first team coach Steve Smith, pictured, left the promotion hunting Ryman North club on Thursday to replace Dean Holdsworth at the Conference South Clarets. Bond, who returned to Scraley Road in January as Director of Football, takes charge on Saturday when they travel to Burnham Ramblers in league action.

In a statement released on Friday following the departure of Hawkes and Smith, Swifts said assistant manager Chris Moore would continue in his current role. He will be alongside Bond in the technical area when he oversees his 100th league game after notching up 99 at the helm when he managed the club between August 2008 and January 2011.

Swifts said: "Further to the departure of first team manager Mark Hawkes and his assistant Steve Smith, Heybridge Swifts are pleased to announce that Director of Football, Wayne Bond assisted by Chris Moore, will take charge over first team affairs with immediate effect and for the foreseeable future.

"A further announcement with regards to the appointment of a permanent management team will be made over the coming few weeks. The committee would like to place on record it’s thanks to both Mark and Steve for their past efforts over the past two years and wish them every success for the future."

Bond is delighted to be back while Swifts consider appointing a permanent successor to Hawkes and says he will be concentrating on continuing the club’s promotion challenge.

Bond, who led the club’s reserves to a number of titles before stepping up as manager in 2008, said: "I’m pleased to be back and looking forward immensely to working with Chris Moore and the players who are a good set of lads. They have pride in what they have achieved so far this season although ultimately getting back in the Ryman Premier is the most important thing."

Second placed Swifts have won their last five league games while scoring 24 goals and are unbeaten in November having won five and drawn one to keep pace with leaders VCD Athletic. Saturday’s fixture at Leslie Fields is their first competitive meeting with Burnham Ramblers.

The experienced Moore, who’ll continue to be available to play in defence, called on the club’s fans to back the club's interim management team at Burnham and over the coming weeks.

Moore said: "I ask you as supporters of Heybridge to get behind the team more than ever, get that crowd behind the goal as raucous as they were a few years ago and to be complimentary to two men whom deserve it."