More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
It's time to put family first for John Still as he prepares to leave Maidstone at the end of the season.
Still is stepping away from football to spend more time with wife Barbara as she awaits a kidney transplant.
United's head of football even tried to be a donor but was rejected due to a cyst on one of his kidneys.
Their daughter, Katie, is now going through the process and has reached the final stage.
Still, 69, opened up last summer about Barbara's fight for life after contracting rare kidney and blood diseases, telling how a priest had twice been called to her hospital ward for the last rites.
She's made an incredible recovery but undergoes four-hour kidney dialysis, three times a week.
They have a series of trips planned in May, June and July, culminating in a month-long family holiday at their second home in Cyprus, in August.
Their three children, Katie, Allison and Robert, are going, too, along with their six grandchildren.
All being well, Barbara will be in line for a transplant around September or October.
Still put Stones chief executive Bill Williams in the picture several weeks ago and his departure was confirmed on Monday.
"I'm not going to be around, so it's unfair to try and stay on," said Still. "I had a chat with Bill who knew a while back what was going on.
"I've got to put my family first so I’ve said to the club, don’t rely on me for anything next year, I don’t think it’s going to work.
"This goes back to the conversation with me and Bill and we had a meet with the club a couple of weeks ago.
"When we come back from Cyprus at the end of August we should be on the verge of a transplant.
"That takes its toll, she'll need looking after for a few weeks, so from May until Christmas I'm not going to be around.
"That’s where we are and I need to spend some time with her, proper time, and hopefully get this transplant all done.
"I tried to be a donor but I couldn’t because I have a cyst on one of my kidneys.
"The chances of it are affecting me are less than one in three-hundred-and-something-thousand but they’re not allowed to do it.
"My daughter is now doing it and she’s got right to the last bit now and things have been good.
"It would be easier because, being my daughter, it’s a blood match, so we’re hoping to hear the outcome of that in the next couple of weeks but if it isn’t right my other daughter will go into it, so we’re still looking at around September/October time for a transplant.
"The actual illness she had has gone but it ruined her kidneys so she has to have dialysis three times a week, four hours a time, which is a pain, but better than the alternative.
"My sister-in-law called it a miracle because we thought a while back she had no chance but to have got over it is brilliant."
Still started out in management in 1977 and has enjoyed a glittering career, winning a record three Conference titles with Maidstone, Dagenham and Luton.
He also led the Daggers to League 2 play-off glory at Wembley, while other former clubs include Barnet and Peterborough.
"I’m not saying I’ll never do anything else in football but I don’t see myself doing anything else for quite some time," said Still, who picked up a special achievement award from the League Managers' Association last summer after more than 2,000 games in the dugout.
"Little things that I've never been able to do, I now can.
"Barbara goes with my two daughters every so often, particularly Christmas time, to New York for five days for shopping.
"I’ve never done it, I’ve never been able to do it, but I can do it now.
"I just want to spend some time with her. I’ve done football all this time and, I’m not being funny, you do neglect your family.
"It’s the job, isn’t it? You’re playing Boxing Day, you’re out all day Saturday, you’re travelling away, but my wife’s situation has brought home how important my family are.
"My grandchildren, I’ve not really been on holiday with them ever and I’ve got six grand-daughters.
"Now I know I’m going to do it, I can’t wait.
"When I came back to Maidstone my wife wasn't well and she was getting worse and worse.
"The fact she's got better, I've got something to look forward to, which is spending time with her."
