Outgoing Penryn Athletic manager Terry Jarvis has spoken about his decision to step down from the club.

Penryn lost 2-0 to RNAS Culdrose last Tuesday in his final game in charge, and afterwards he spoke to the Packet to reflect on his time.

“I’ve done 40 years football playing and managing, and it’s hard, and every season gets harder and harder and harder,” he said.

Terry, a self-professed joker in the changing room as a player, initially came to the club to manage the third team 15 years ago, before he ended up becoming the first-team manager after the original first team withdrew from the South West Peninsula League last summer.

He said: “It was a project of mine really when I came to the second team, to bring Falmouth United boys to the age of 16 in, hopefully to play senior football and then hopefully to play first team.

“But obviously when the first team was defunct last year these boys became the first team, and it’s been difficult, but I’ve loved every minute.”

Falmouth Packet:

The Penryn Athletic squad for the final 2017/18 Combination League season at home to RNAS Culdrose

Penryn enjoyed a superb end to the season, winning nine of their last 13 games to secure a top-half finish, a run of form that delighted Terry.

“Most probably the last 14 games we’re in the top five in the league, but unfortunately the season is 38 games and the start of the season wasn’t so good.

“But that’s the pleasing thing about that, they keep taking the knocks yet they kept going out on that field and in the end I kept saying to them ‘all you can do is give 100% and be the best you possibly can be.’”

Penryn captain Russell May echoed his manager’s words, saying: “This last quarter of the season we have been playing very well, it is league winning form. It’s just a shame it’s come towards the end of the season.

“The manager should take huge huge credit for what we’ve done in the last four years.”

Although he is happy to be stepping away for now, Terry hopes to return to the game at some stage.

“I love football and you don’t know what it’s going to be like until you do it, come August 8 when the season starts again, then I’ll know whether I miss it or not.

“At the moment I’ll be blasé about it, saying ‘oh I won’t miss it, I won’t miss it,’ but I’ve done nothing else on Saturdays for ten months of the year for the last 40 years than do football, so it is going to be a culture shock.”

“I want to stay involved, maybe be with a club or in football some way and anybody who needs any help then I’m always there for it, but as far as managing goes and taking control, nah not anymore, I’m tired.”