johnniericoh
Member
Feeling a tad nostalgic and knowing Wingy likes my football anecdotes I though I'd post this one about my exploits as a football manager NO not FIFA or FOOTBALL MANAGER but a real live AT type warts and all.
It began in 1976 when I was a member of the Coventry City Supporters Club (CCSC) then based within the Sky Blue Stand at Highfield Road.
My love of football as a touchline spectator embraced all levels of the game from pub leagues to the Premier League and so I thoroughly enjoyed following CCSC playing kn the top flight Coventry and District Sunday Premier League having been promoted the following season.
Then a bizarre sequence of events plus my inclination to say yes to every challenge I suddenly found myself being elevated from a no commitment spectator to sponge man, then linesman, then trainer and finally unbelievably MANAGER of the CCSC First Team all within two weeks.
Not fully appreciating what was to follow I plunged headlong into the new role and boy it wasn't easy.......
PRE MATCH DUTIES
* Check players availability during week
* Ensure playing kit was cleaned and available
* Mark out pitch
* Man house phone over weekend (no mobiles) for calls from players "can't play boss injured" was all too common after a Saturday night meant the player was pissed
MATCHDAY
* Pick up oranges and bottles of water
* Pick players up on route to ground (based at Shilton) - also get some of them out of bed.
* Ensure players put goalposts and nets up ("what me again boss"
* Collects subs from players - absolute nightmare ("short week boss", "forgot to bring money", "can I pay next week"
* Await star man (still pissed from night before, but "on the way")
* Pick team ("wtf - not sub again boss)
* Induce potential heart attack to myself watching game ("never offside ref", "send him off", "penalty")
*Ensure players take posts and nets down ("not me yet again boss"
POST MATCH
* Training twice per week at local school gym
* Fund raising (200 club, raffles, sponsorship)
* FA meetings
* Liaise with local groundsman as to state of pitch throughout week
* Weekly meetings with second team manager and football committee
* Wash 16 sets of kit (her indoors not particularly "happy" about this ahem...)
FIRST HALF SEASON ANALYSIS
The Sunday Premier League was no pushover with the top sides fielding a number of semi pros from Nuneaton Borough, Bedworth Town and Atherstone.and I managed to acquire one of these individuals a superb centre back from Bedworth Town, the rest of the squad was made up from the previous season, transfers in and the cream from a local trial held in the summer.
The season duly started and what followed was fairy tale stuff - our record after just 10 league and cup games was W8 - D1 - L1 and we were placed 2nd in the league with 16 points from 7 games.
I was held up as footballing genius for results in the league consisting of teams like J F Kennedy, Arley and Tam O Shanter all huge clubs at that time.
When I entered the Supporters Club during this period people came up to me showering me with plaudits and handshakes, players morale was on a high and I was considered the Dogs B------s - happy days.
My best result was a 1-0 win against J F Kennedy at home via a first half penalty - it was just like the Alamo after that goal camped in our own half, so one sided it was unreal.
JFK were not best pleased and after the game promptly kicked down the away dressing room door followed by a bit of a "scuffle"
SECOND HALF SEASON ANALYSIS
Yes you've probably guessed right, it went well and truly tits up losing 5 league games on the trot with an aggregate of 6 goals for and 21 against - plummeting down the league, players disgruntled with people wanting to shake my throat not my hand and the football committee casting raised eyebrows in my direction.
Anyway we finished 3rd from bottom, not relegated and survived intact for next season.
Incidently my league record for that season was: P22 - W7 - D3 - L12 - F37 - A63 with a win ratio of 32%.
CONCLUSIONS
Well there you have it my one and only excursion into football management experiencing a variety of emotions ranging from absolute elation to downright despair.
Seriously though it took a lot out of me having to put in a surprising number of hours to do the job properly and I understand now how AT feels operating within an environment of great expectation and little resource.
Did I consider doing it again - not in a million years
PUSB
It began in 1976 when I was a member of the Coventry City Supporters Club (CCSC) then based within the Sky Blue Stand at Highfield Road.
My love of football as a touchline spectator embraced all levels of the game from pub leagues to the Premier League and so I thoroughly enjoyed following CCSC playing kn the top flight Coventry and District Sunday Premier League having been promoted the following season.
Then a bizarre sequence of events plus my inclination to say yes to every challenge I suddenly found myself being elevated from a no commitment spectator to sponge man, then linesman, then trainer and finally unbelievably MANAGER of the CCSC First Team all within two weeks.
Not fully appreciating what was to follow I plunged headlong into the new role and boy it wasn't easy.......
PRE MATCH DUTIES
* Check players availability during week
* Ensure playing kit was cleaned and available
* Mark out pitch
* Man house phone over weekend (no mobiles) for calls from players "can't play boss injured" was all too common after a Saturday night meant the player was pissed
MATCHDAY
* Pick up oranges and bottles of water
* Pick players up on route to ground (based at Shilton) - also get some of them out of bed.
* Ensure players put goalposts and nets up ("what me again boss"
* Collects subs from players - absolute nightmare ("short week boss", "forgot to bring money", "can I pay next week"
* Await star man (still pissed from night before, but "on the way")
* Pick team ("wtf - not sub again boss)
* Induce potential heart attack to myself watching game ("never offside ref", "send him off", "penalty")
*Ensure players take posts and nets down ("not me yet again boss"
POST MATCH
* Training twice per week at local school gym
* Fund raising (200 club, raffles, sponsorship)
* FA meetings
* Liaise with local groundsman as to state of pitch throughout week
* Weekly meetings with second team manager and football committee
* Wash 16 sets of kit (her indoors not particularly "happy" about this ahem...)
FIRST HALF SEASON ANALYSIS
The Sunday Premier League was no pushover with the top sides fielding a number of semi pros from Nuneaton Borough, Bedworth Town and Atherstone.and I managed to acquire one of these individuals a superb centre back from Bedworth Town, the rest of the squad was made up from the previous season, transfers in and the cream from a local trial held in the summer.
The season duly started and what followed was fairy tale stuff - our record after just 10 league and cup games was W8 - D1 - L1 and we were placed 2nd in the league with 16 points from 7 games.
I was held up as footballing genius for results in the league consisting of teams like J F Kennedy, Arley and Tam O Shanter all huge clubs at that time.
When I entered the Supporters Club during this period people came up to me showering me with plaudits and handshakes, players morale was on a high and I was considered the Dogs B------s - happy days.
My best result was a 1-0 win against J F Kennedy at home via a first half penalty - it was just like the Alamo after that goal camped in our own half, so one sided it was unreal.
JFK were not best pleased and after the game promptly kicked down the away dressing room door followed by a bit of a "scuffle"
SECOND HALF SEASON ANALYSIS
Yes you've probably guessed right, it went well and truly tits up losing 5 league games on the trot with an aggregate of 6 goals for and 21 against - plummeting down the league, players disgruntled with people wanting to shake my throat not my hand and the football committee casting raised eyebrows in my direction.
Anyway we finished 3rd from bottom, not relegated and survived intact for next season.
Incidently my league record for that season was: P22 - W7 - D3 - L12 - F37 - A63 with a win ratio of 32%.
CONCLUSIONS
Well there you have it my one and only excursion into football management experiencing a variety of emotions ranging from absolute elation to downright despair.
Seriously though it took a lot out of me having to put in a surprising number of hours to do the job properly and I understand now how AT feels operating within an environment of great expectation and little resource.
Did I consider doing it again - not in a million years
PUSB
