Why Solihull was the right club to tempt Chris Millington back into National League action

We may only be three months into the National League season, but the division has already had seven managerial changes since the campaign kicked off. 

It's proof of the ever-increasing pressure and the standard expected up and down the league, which is growing stronger and stronger every year. 

One of the changes has come at Solihull, where Matt Taylor paid the price for the club's poor start to the season, and after a brief caretaker spell from James Quinn, was replaced by Chris Millington earlier this month. 



It marks a return to the National League scene for Millington following his successful spell with Halifax that came to an end last season. 

During his three years in charge, the 50-year-old twice led the Shayman into the play-offs and won silverware with the FA Trophy triumph in 2023, but decided to step down as boss in May this year. 

Now, he's back and raring to go once again, along with assistant Andy Cooper, so what was it about the Moors post that enticed Millington to jump back into action? 

"There were other offers," Millington exclusively tells Ash Rose ahead of Soliull's clash with Braintree Town on Saturday - a game you can watch live on DAZN. 

"Maybe a little bit too soon because I needed to have that time and space to reflect, to make sure that the next decision was the right one. And the reason Solihull is the right one is because the club itself is incredibly well run.

"The training facilities are phenomenal and they give coaches the opportunity to work with individuals and groups and make them better. And that's something that's important to me.

"We're very heavy on the coaching side. So having the facilities to do that is excellent.

"It's a competitive budget. The chairman backs the managers here and gives them the opportunity to bring in the right standard of players to be able to sustain success, not just build it and then have to rebuild again. 

"It's a club full of hard-working, very professional and very well-equipped people. So who wouldn't want to be a part of that?"

That rebuild continues with this weekend's lunchtime game, where Millington is looking for his first win as Moors boss and gets the club further away from the wrong end of the table. 

No stranger to the play-off positions in his previous post, the manager isn't shy about his ambitions for the Midlands club, but is aware of how competitive the league is this season. 

Admitting, "You've got the obvious standouts in terms of the big spenders, as you always have.

"We've had it in recent seasons, haven't we, from Stockport through Wrexham, maybe Notts County to some degree and Chesterfield to some level as well.  So we've got a number of those in the league this season.Solihull Moors FC

"But it really is a situation where anybody can beat anybody. And we say that year on year, but every year it becomes more relevant.  

"I think the league is going to be incredibly close this season and I think it's going to be right at the death before the final playoff places are decided. 

"So it's who's got the staying power and who's got the ability to sustain it over a full 46-game season, really, that's going to be successful." 

Millington's theory will be put to the test against Braintree, who present another obstacle for his new side. 

Boss Steve Pitt came in last season and steered the club away from the drop zone, and although their current league position suggests another struggle, they've faced a tricky fixture programme to begin their campaign, where they've faced nearly all of last season's top nine. 

And, the new Solihull gaffer is under no illusion that it will be another battle as he looks for those first three points. 

"It's clichéd, but it's tough, it's very tough playing Braintree," Millington added. Solihull Moors FC

"The level of intensity, you've got Langston there, who's one of the top progressive passers in the league and they've got a lot of serious threats that we've got to contend with.

"We know they've not had the start that they would have hoped, but it'll be very, very difficult. 

"But we've put in a lot of work over the last two weeks on the training ground,  and we're certainly seeing the fruits of that labour on the training ground.

"Now we just want to see that transition into matchday performances." 

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