Albert Hitchin succeeded Arthur Jepson as the club's second Manager in somewhat reluctant circumstances after Jepson departed suddenly at the beginning of March 1957 with the team having had a creditable start to their first campaign under the Long Eaton United name. The real reason for Jepson's sudden departure may never be clearly known but it has been inferred that his cricketing commitments with Nottinghamshire did play a part.

Albert always acknowledged that he was not a football Manager by nature but had served both Long Eaton Town, and latterly United, as a worthy Club Secretary and saw his role as Acting Manager as helping the club in difficult circumstances.

After a number of poor early results, particularly in light of the team's form under Jepson, Hitchin somehow ensured that the experienced players in the side took on a level of added responsibility, perhaps making up for his own lack of managerial experience.

During the closing two months of the season United only lost once in their final ten games, and that was against champions-elect SkegnessTown. On the run-in they were able to secure a second place finish in the Central Alliance, which was the highest position ever achieved by a team from the town. Doubtless, credit for the team's achievements during the 1956-57 campaign was due to the combined efforts of Arthur Jepson, Albert Hitchin and the players themselves and at the start of the new season in August 1957, Hitchin was still at the helm and along with player-coach Reg Harrison and trainer Arthur Anderson he was part of a three man selection committee.

The new season started with a 2-1 victory over St Neots, with almost a 1,000 spectators attending the game at Grange Park. However, it was apparent early on that there was a crisis developing in relation to the club's centre forward following an injury to Barry Clarke, who had scored thirty-two goals in all games the previous season.

Ernie Baxter, who had been the leading scorer with Babcock & Wilcox the previous season despite playing as a centre-half, was given the chance to make the number five shirt his own after progressing from the reserve team. This freed Tony Watson to lead the attack but unfortunately a flu epidemic hit the club during the early months of the season and Watson suffered more than most. The solution to the problem was promoting Baxter to centre forward and his first game as a makeshift target man brought immediate results, with the bustling youngster rattling four goals against Anstey Nomads in late November during a storming 6-1 win for United. Whether the decision to select Baxter to lead the line was made by Albert Hitchin or Reg Harrison is not known, though it is clear they were both in agreement. Watson retained his role in the side by reverting back to centre half in Baxter's initial position.

On Christmas day 1957, Hitchin sent out "his' team to play Grantham Reserves at Grange Park and the fans were treated to a festive treat, winning 7-3 after trailing at half-time and Baxter again netting a hat-trick. Three days later , United were brought down to earth with a bump when the return fixture resulted in a 3-1 defeat.

In mid-January 1958, Hitchin announced that he would be relinquishing his role as Manager no later than March as the position, along with other committee duties, was taking up more and more of his time. Reg Harrison was the obvious choice to succeed him and by 1st February he was already conducting team affairs. Hitchin's last game in charge was probably the team's 2-1 victory over Potton United in a Central Alliance league game on 25th January at Grange Park.

Albert Hitchin seemed to drift away from the club within a year of relinquishing the manager's post and at the time of Harrison's appointment he announced that he was pleased to hand over the role to such an experienced and highly regarded football man. The dilemma for Hitchin was that he had always had a significant role in club affairs since the days of Long Eaton Town, primarily as Club Secretary of both clubs. It seems that by doing the club a favour in taking over from Jepson, he handed over the reins to Harrison when all the significant roles within the club were allocated.

The front cover of United's programme for the game against Potton indicates Hitchin as the club's manager but from that point on his name never appears again with him holding a significant position at the club. His son Robert, who now lives in Newark, has some re-collection of a "falling out' with the club around 1959.

A few years later, in January 1963, Hitchin wrote a letter to the Long Eaton Advertiser and was highly critical of how the club was being run when ex-Forest player Bill Morley was the Manager. His main bone of contention was that the club were stretching their budget beyond their means, primarily in relation to payment to players when there was such an abundance of young talent locally. Even Reg Harrison didn't escape his wrath when he remarked, "Former Manager Harrison is not without blame for this decline. He is the one that over-loaded the club with ex-professional's'.

The club chairman at the time, Mr L. Upton, responded quickly to refute these allegations and also, with perhaps a side-swipe, thanked "Mr Hitchin for his previous good service to the club'

Players from his time with the club remember him with a level of affection but they were clear in their assessment that he was really an administrator and not a Manager. Former Club Secretary Hedley Roe recalls him as being an "Ex-Navy Man' and that he worked at the Leisure works in Long Eaton for many years, living in William Street in the town.

In the passage of time, it is clear that the club had a great deal to be thankful for to Albert Hitchin and it may be that circumstances led to the club doing him somewhat of a dis-service after his many years as an important administrator. Had he not stepped into an unaccustomed role during a time of need, then perhaps his association with Long Eaton United would have been even longer than it was.

Albert's wife Kath now resides in a residential home close to Long Eaton and he also had a daughter Barbara, who has lived in Belfast for over thirty years.