Triumph over adversity
Hi, hope you are all well.
Desperate times call for desperate measures and we have again witnessed our fair share of such instances this season with regards to managerial changes.
Among the best examples in the Premier League have been the appointment of Alan Shearer at Newcastle, Harry Redknapp taking over at Tottenham and Guus Hiddink replacing Felipe Scolari at Chelsea (although it is worth pointing out that Chelsea's definition of desperate times is slightly different to that of the majority of football clubs!).
However, when it comes to clubs taking gambles to get themselves out of trouble, I have been particularly intrigued by the case of Bournemouth.
Having started the season on minus seventeen points, the Cherries still found themselves second bottom of the league come the turn of the year. That is when the club's new owners terminated Jimmy Quinn's contract as manager, a decision which at the time seemed to me to be made too much in haste.
I recall thinking that the next manager would be someone with a proven track record of saving clubs from relegation. Instead, Bournemouth plumped for someone with no experience of managing a club at all - their former player Eddie Howe.
Quite apart from never having been a manager before, Howe is the youngest manager in the Football League, at 31.
If Bournemouth escape relegation, a feat which looks likely following recent results, it will have proved to be one of the most inspired managerial appointments in recent times in my view. Many would argue that he has already done more than a lot of people might have expected and in view of the argument that there is a lack of young British managerial talent in our game, I do feel that the promise he has shown deserves to be highlighted.
In Notts County's recent match at Bournemouth, which we won 1-0, I was interested to see how a guy just one year older than myself dealt with the stresses of being a manager. What surprised me was just how good his temperament was. He was very calm on the touchline and seemed quite adept at getting his point across to his players. Most importantly, he struck me as a manager who knows how to get the best out of them, the crucial aspect of the job.
Perhaps his most notable move at Bournemouth was to re-sign centre forward Steve Fletcher, a 36-year-old who was released by the club two years ago, after some 600 appearances for them over a period of 15 years, and was playing for non-leaguers Crawley Town when Howe decided to bring him back into the Cherries fold in January.
Big Fletch is very much a cult figure at Bournemouth and his return has clearly had a galvanising effect. At 6ft 2ins tall and whose muscular build is accentuated by his habit of rolling up the sleeves of his jersey as high as they will go, he cuts the most imposing of figures. From a football perspective, his style can best be described as "effective". He is your stereotypical lower-league target man, and very good at it, too, with enough in his locker in terms of his aerial ability, hold up play and game intelligence to make the job of marking him a defender's nightmare.
It is not uncommon for teams to enlist veteran players to help get them out of the mire. Over the years, I am sure there has been many examples that you could share. It is not just the vast playing experience of such figures that can be so important, but also the type of characters they are in the dressing room.
I remember the influence that Michael Johnson had on Notts County when he joined us back in February 2008, according to him he kept us up single handed. To this day he still complains that his back aches from carrying us all to safety that season!
It was a massive coup to be able to sign him. It owed much to the fact that he was a Notts County fan and his first professional club before his moves to Birmingham City and Derby County.
I always thought "Jonno" was a good player, but sometimes you only appreciate just how good a player actually is when you play with him as a team-mate. The way he attacks the ball in the air and his positional sense are a shining example to any aspiring central defender. Needless to say he is going to be missed when he hangs up his boots at the end of the season. Good luck for the future, "Jonno".
Apart from Fletcher, two other cases of veterans attempting to help rescue teams flying SOS signals this season are 35-year-old central defender Gary Breen and 40-year-old striker Paul Furlong at Barnet.
Gary in particular has always been a great character and a leader, which was just what Barnet and their young squad needed when their season was in danger of going into freefall. I know Gary from our time together at Coventry City. He is a very cultured defender and a great motivator. I did wonder how his elegant style would stand up in League Two, but in his own languid fashion he has adapted very well.
Relegation is obviously a terrible experience to go through for players and supporters alike. I have suffered this fate on two occasions, with Coventry City and Hartlepool United. Whilst the implications in both instances were not good for the clubs, on reflection I would say that they were far worse for Coventry City - or any club being relegated from the Premier League for that matter - especially if they cannot achieve promotion again within a couple of seasons and the parachute payments stop.
There is no need for me to highlight the financial implications for clubs dropping out of the Premier League; for a number of clubs, it has proved more than just a financial blow. It has meant financial meltdown. I would suggest that relegation is generally easier to handle, and recover from, for clubs who drop out of the Championship, League One and League Two.
As far as the latter is concerned, the followers of Luton Town, already relegated from League Two this season, and other clubs to have suffered that fate in recent years, should take heart from the stunning turn around in fortunes of Doncaster Rovers.
Having lost their league status in 1998, they bounced back in 2003 and have not looked back since. Promotions to League One and the Championship followed, accompanied by a new stadium and a brand of football that has earned them many admirers.
Exeter City are another example of a club regrouping following relegation into the Conference and coming back stronger. I played for Southend in the game that saw Exeter relegated in 2003. They returned to league football for this current season, and the momentum created by that promotion has led to them establishing themselves as one of the main contenders for a place in League One next season.
So, for followers of Luton town and the other team to exit the Football League this season, the message is to take heart from some of the precedents that have been set.
Hello, I'm Gavin Strachan. I describe myself as a "journeyman" player after 13 years in the game as a professional. I'm currently between clubs, having been released by Notts County. I'm also studying journalism and the aim of my blog is to provide an insight into the life of a footballer.
Here are some 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~26~RS~)
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Hmmmm,
Boomshakalak makes a good point. But I find it best to let hair find it's own level.
Complain about this comment
I am well thank you.
Good blog as ever Gav.
Having grown up watching Bournemouth from the terraces of Dean Court, Eddie never stuck me as the managerial type, but has done remarkable things after Quinn's departure when the situation looked almost irretrievable.
However the appointment wa inspired as he was popular with the fans and at the time was doing a good job managing the reserves.
As for Big Fletch, cult hero and very good at what he does, although is style is not always for the football purist, appears (hopefully) to be leading Bournemouth to football league safety.
Gavin, assuming age and fittness stay on your side, how far 'down the ladder' do you think you'd play before hanging up your boots? Or would you just go until no-one picked you anymore?
Complain about this comment
Hi Gavin,
In the recent media it appears the old debate of should Scottish clubs be allowed to play in the English Leagues has appeared again. How would you feel about this - being a scotsman - and do you feel both English and Scottish clubs would benefit from the merge?
I feel lower leageu clubs would benefit due to the possibility of linking up with Scottish clubs and taking on youth players to gain experience (My home town Rochdale already have a releationship with your dads clubs, Celtic)
Can you imagine being a Pompey fan travelling up to play Rangers, or the other way around? alot of miles that might put some fans off.
No doubt you will cover this story over the next week or two? it would be nice to know the thoughts.
Aiden
Complain about this comment
I am always quick to condemn clubs who sack managers after a brief tenure in charge, but the flip-side is we shouldn't be too quick to praise Bournemouth or Howe. It is fine to give him credit for his part in Bournemouth's (presumed) survival or indeed as you stated suggest he "shows promise." But no more than that. Let us wait and see where Bournemouth and Howe are in say two years time before passing judgment one way or another. I do feel sympathy towards Luton simply because a 30pt. deduction would seem an impossible handicap to overcome...but then I don't know the full facts of what they had been doing. It just worries me that the sort of "business brains" that have led the whole planet into financial meltdown are now controlling too many football clubs.
Complain about this comment
Wow, The Cherries get a mention in the media and we're not being mocked by on Sky Sports! Thank you Gav. Great blog.
Complain about this comment
Eddie Howe
Jason Tindal
Neil Moss
Joe Roach (coach)
Steve Fletcher
It has made a huge difference having people running the club which have played and sweated over bournemouth for the past ten years. I grew up watching these players and I am so happy to see them now taking over the management.
In times when we have no idea who is in and out of our boardroom. Where the chairman changes every three months. It goes to show just how well they have all done.
Complain about this comment
Let's give Eddie Howe his moment in the sun (and hopefully not his last one) and conratulate him on a great job well done, rather than fear for what the future may, or may not, hold. Whatever happens, he and all of the club have exceeded my expectations this season. Well done Bournemouth!
Complain about this comment
some may call Gary Breen cultured , but any who saw him play for West Ham might find another adjective , in the words of a famous lager manafacure -" probably the worst defender in the world "
Complain about this comment
Interesting points about the "older player"
A couple of years back our then manager at Coventry (Mickey Adams) signed Dennis Wise in the January window on a short term deal until the summer. Coventry promptly went on a run where (forgive my memory) they only lost about 4 in 19 and went from the relegation fringes to finish 8th - our best since relegation. Wise made every player in the team look better - he worked out within a couple of games where people made their runs and just played the pass - he had a young ball winner (Mickey Doyle) next to him to do the running and harrying and the team started to play for fun.
Wise left to manage Leeds and all of a sudden the team looked the same as before his arrival - and we are still looking for that type of player now !
Good blog - thought provoking - hows your sons U8 team doing ?
CockneyCov.
Complain about this comment
Gary Breen has been fantastic for Barnet this year. He has brought us stability, experience and has very much helped the younger players, both as a coach and on the pitch. Lordsuperfred, you may not have appreciated him but we love him.
Paul Furlong is also a legend and I hope he stays next year.
On the topic of young managers doing well, Ian Hendon did a fantastic job bringing them (and others) in and steadying the ship.
Complain about this comment
Hi Gavin,
Do you think that our current manager (Ian McParland) can motivate you guys?
If so: why is it that we can play so well in the first half, of so many games, and end up playing absolutely atrociously in the second?
Who is, in your opinion, to blame for the poor performances these last two years?
The players keep stating that 'The gaffer is fantastic'... If Ian is so fantastic then obviously it is the players who must be the problem.
Complain about this comment
Hey Gav,
A cracking blog as always! Although I'm a Cardiff City fan, one young manager I do admire is Roberto Martinez at Swansea. Hes taken Swansea from Mid-Table League One to Championship Play-off Contenders; and he's signed some very decent players in the process.
However, one managerial loss I am dissapointed to hear about is Graham Turner at Hereford, having lived there for 14 years before going to Aber Uni and going to games every now and again (was decent-ish football on my doorstep and I couldn't afford to go and see Cardiff)I was dissapointed to hear that the guy who has done so much for that job club has quit. I've heard John Trewick is going to be offered the post, but who in your opinion would be the best manager to help them bounce back?
Complain about this comment
Another hugely interesting blog - thanks Gavin. You rarely fail to come up with an appealing subject. CockneyCov makes a very good point about the hugely underestimated Denis Wise who almost singlehandedly made Coventry into a force a couple of seasons ago. Great player.
Luton and Bournemouth were very badly treated for their sins at the beginning of the season. A six point deduction and a one season stop on a promotion would have been adequate. Both teams took their unjust punishment on the chin and went about trying to stay up against the odds. It is great that Bournemouth seem to be on the brink of staying up. Luton will hopefully bounce straight back.
Football history is littered with many one-man-wonders who made all the difference to a team during a season. I look forward to reading these reminiscences here, over the next few days.
Complain about this comment
Bournemouth had no choice but to accept. If we appealed, we would have been thrown out of the football league.
Complain about this comment
Hi Gavin, hope you're well too.
At Brighton, 32-year-old Gary Hart has had an eventful season to say the least, but has made a massive impact in recent weeks, which is just when the team needed him, and other players to perform. Released by previous manager Dean Wilkins at the end of last season, he was offered a way back in when Micky Adams returned during the close season. In September he needed surgery and then followed six months out. Now back in the squad he seems to have a new lease of life, and the team have won four out of the last five to give them a chance of survival.
Oh, and Russell Slade has also contributed somewhat!
Goog luck (results- and injury-wise) with the run-in.
BC
Complain about this comment
Obviously "Good", not Goog"
Complain about this comment
just to point out a team you missed who dropped out of the football league not too long ago - Carlisle United. Bounced back and almost gained promotion to the Championship last year
Complain about this comment
Hi Gav,
Another great blog. We were discussing the other day about Exeter's rise up the leagues hoping they may not suddenly peak and find themselves entrenched in the relegation zone of League One next season. Hopefully they'll establish themselves as a mid table side before looking at the next step in their improvement. To go from being a non league side scrapping for a play off place to playing home games against the likes of Southampton, Charlton and maybe even Leeds and Norwich is a dream for the Grecians! long may it continue!
Complain about this comment
There seems to be so many clubs at the bottom of the league or in the Conference on the verge of going out of business. For many it seems it will take very little to help them topple over the edge.
Is it a case of poor management of these clubs or just too many full-time clubs trying to pay wages they can't afford?
Unless the big boys are going to pass on a few more crumbs from their table it is hard to see how anything will change.
Complain about this comment
Another good blog Gavin but you missed the biggest League Two performance.
None other than Rotherham United who set off also on minus 17 and are at present 13th in the League dispite playing all their games away. The Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield and just to add to the players efforts they train in Doncaster. Its not all one sided though, the ticket office is on an industrial estate in Rotherham. Give the 17 points back and we would be in the automatic promotion spot and with that sort of moment we could have won the league.
So when it comes to managers fighting against adversity and the other 23 clubs in the League you have just got to give Mark Robbins the manager of the year !!! Up the Millers
Complain about this comment
I started watching Bournemouth when Harry Rednap was still in charge and Jimmy Quin was one of the better players in Harry's last squad, though of course he only stayed for a single season.
I remember calling out to him to take a penalty that would give us a win and put us within 2 pts of the playoffs. He looked right at me and I think he thought I was having a go, so I repeated myself and he seemed to say "What me?". He then took the penalty and we won the game, but of course never made the playoffs and he moved on to Reading.
I think it was after Harry left that Fletch came along, one of two new youngsters that were thrown into the squad, and I remember how hard we laughed. He seemed to have nothing more than the ability to kick the ball really hard and was somehow blessed with amazing luck when it came to where that ball would end up.
He scored goals though, and because of that luck some were spectacular. After losing so many good players to Premiership and 1st Division clubs we were happy that at least we had a forward that was lucky in front of goal.
I always felt that this season we would have made a serious push for promotion if it wasn't for those -17 pts. We've beaten many of the top 8 teams, but it took too long to get out the funk that penalty caused. I'm sure it must have felt like a weight around their necks as the players tried to reach a positive number of points. It wasn't until Eddie took over that Bournemouth seemed to get the confidence they needed to survive, and unless Chester pull off a miracle it looks like we will. Next season if there still is a Bournemouth I'm hoping we can at least compete for the playoffs.
Complain about this comment
When did you play for Southend Gavin? I have no recollection of you playing for us?
Complain about this comment
post 23. It was the season before I joined Hartlepool United , only for a few months. Stewart Robson was caretaker manager following Rob Newman`s departure.
Complain about this comment
post 13 . I had the pleasure of training with Roberto Martinez during a loan stint at Motherwell. He is a really funny bloke and it is great to see him doing well at Swansea . Always good to see nice people enjoying success.
Complain about this comment
post 10 . The lads are doing really well , thanks for asking .They have won more than they have lost which is good and more importantly seem to be having good fun.
Complain about this comment
post 3 . I think it will be a case of playing until my body packs in or as you say I can`t find any team , regardless of the level, that will give me a game!
Complain about this comment
Hi Gavin
Great blog - but as I complained to my County supporting mate, are you trying to get the Cheries relegated single handedly??
Surely after beating us, the nice thing to do would have been be to beat Chester and Grimsby too??
I'll let you Pies off if we stay up - and I will talk to him in Prague when we both go on a stag do later this month ;-)
Complain about this comment
Great Blog as always Gav just wondering what you think of the idea of the split premier league's including your dad's Celtic and Rangers and also what are your personal ambitions for Notts County next season
Complain about this comment
Just reading through the posts at the end of your Blog and i noticed someone mentioning the fact that so many of the lower leauge clubs have big financial problems.
Does anyone think that this could be down to the way that the top teams now go abroad to buy players? i mean right up until the early 90's the big clubs did a lot of business with the lower leauge clubs for up and coming players (Keegan to Liverpool, Pallister to Man Utd to name but two that spring straight to my mind and a fellow poster mentioned his team bournemouth lost a fair few payers to teams in higher divisions)how much does everyone feel that teams now being able to sign young kids from Brazil, Portugal, Italy etc..... instead of buying promising young lads from the likes of Rotherham, Carlisle, Peterborough etc... is impacting on the finances of the lower divisions?
by the way great blog as usual Gavin (from a Boro fan preparing for life in the football league)
Complain about this comment
Bournemouth in the news - brilliant.
I would like to point out that the rules that ended up with us having a points deduction are ridiculous.
It is a proper catch 22 situation.
The Inland Revenue state that when a club is in administration the tax bill has to be number one priority.
The League state that when a club is in administration the players wages must be paid as a number one priority.
That is why no club is able to get a voluntary agreement to come out of administration and everybody ends up getting a further deduction of points. The rules say that if you don't get a voluntary agreement with all the creditors you must be punished again. The problem is that the rules also preclude you getting a voluntary agreement with all creditors. Catch 22, it's like 70's Russia.
That's why we (probably rightly) got 10 points deducted last season for going into administration and then punished further this season for coming out of it without a voluntary agreement - madness.
Glad I got that off my chest.
Great Blog by the way Gav.
Complain about this comment
Hi Gavin,
Thoroughly excellent blog once again. I hope the BBC keep it going through the summer and next season.
A few points:
Firstly, whilst it's very, very unfair on the true fans of AFCB, Luton Town, Rotherham etc you have to remember that the rules are there for a reason and that it's up to the people that we trust to run our clubs to ensure that clubs stick within the rules. Anything other than that gives them an unfair advantage so those fans should be blaming those who put their clubs in such a position that the Football League has no alternative but to issue such harsh punishments and not the Football League for doing their job to ensure fair play.
Secondly, I think the shining example of coming back into the League after a spell in the Conference is Doncaster Rovers who now sit proudly in the Championship in a fine new ground. They've come a million miles from the decrepit old Belle Vue stadium and relegation from the League.
Finally, it is because the "big" clubs are signing players from Africa, South America and Asia and not from the lower leagues which is leading some "smaller" clubs into financial dire straits. Once upon a time a club like Bury (my club) would be able to sell a Colin Bell, Alec Lindsey, Terry McDermott, Lee Dixon, David Johnson etc which would clear the losses for a season and allow the manager to bring in a few older experienced players to play alongside the new crop from the Youth or Reserve sides. With so much money in the top end of the game players no longer need to carry on playing in the lower leagues like they used to. At Gigg Lane we had the likes of Trevor Ross, Leighton James, Mark Higgins etc who topped up their pensions and brought a bit of class and added a few hundred to the gate before bowing out of the game. Those sorts of players are very few and far between now. Can you imagine Stevie Gerrard or Ronaldo finishing up at Prenton Park or Gigg Lane in a few years time? No, me neither and that's what will kill lower league football.
Complain about this comment
Hi Gavin,
Thank you for avoiding my questions...
John
Notts County Season Ticket Holder (who has witnessed the worst results at the club ever).
Complain about this comment
Great Blog Gavin. As a Bournemouth fan I was also intreagued by Eddie Howe's appointment. With so much at stake it seemed such a massive gamble at the time!! But as is the opinion now of most AFCB fans, for once we got it right. I just wanted to hit on your point about Steve Fletcher (before you read this, I'm a massive fan of his). I have seen many player come and go, and I have to say 'Fletch' is not the most technically gifted footballer were ever likely to see playing in an AFCB shirt, but what he is good at (holding the ball up, winning flick ons and generally making himself a nuisence to defenders) he does extremely well. Have you come accross many players in your career who appear to lack cartain attributes yet have carved out a very sucessful footballing career for themselves?
Complain about this comment
Hi Gavin. As post 28 says it quite ironic that you have focused on Bournemouth given the amount of damage Notts County have done to our fight against relegation. If it wasn't for you we would be safe already but then again we wouldn't have the prospect of a nail biter against grimsby in front of a full house to look forwards to.
You are spot in your observations regarding Eddie Howe. I have been really impressed by how he conducts himself and whenever he is quoted in the press he always makes really good sense - unlike a lot of manager goobledygook. The return of Steve Fletcher has been crucial, I for one under estimated just how motivational a figure he must be in the dressing room. The other reason I think Eddie has (hopefully) succeeded is that he understands the footballing tradition of AFCB whereas recent previous managers were too keen to play hoofball which was a massive turn off for the fans. Interestingly you also highlighted the success of Doncaster who are of course managed by ex-Cherries manager Sean O'Driscoll who refuses to sacrifice his principles of passing football for anyone.
Here's looking forward to league 2 survival this season and promotion next season with Eddie Howe at the helm.
Complain about this comment
I should think that having an articulate, intelligent young manager like Howe, is an absolute boon for the media.
His appointment (and the sacking of Quinn) may not have been everyone's cup of tea at the time but the football at Dean Court under Quinn was dire (déjà vu of Bond and Benson in the 70s) and Howe has made some very astute changes, at key times in the games, since he has taken charge.
Your points about Doncaster should be the pointer as to Eddie Howe's relative success. DRFC are admired for their football, because they play the way their Manager Sean O'Driscoll wants them to play. Eddie is a product of Sean O'Driscoll through and through and he is clearly playing to the same formula as SOD did when O'Driscoll was at AFCB and that SOD is now doing at Donny.
Complain about this comment
older players prompting an improvement..Gary Speed at the Blades!
Complain about this comment
As a fair weather fan, I'll be at Dean Court tomorrow to see the mighty Cherries take on Grimsby. Eddie deserves great credit for playing the traditional Bournemouth way - on the deck.
Re Donny - aka Bournemouth Reserves, they've done rather well with their collection of Bournemouth cast offs - SOD, Hayter, Matthew Mills (OK - a loanee from the Scummers), Brian Stock, James O'Connor and John Spicer. And not forgetting Wade Elliott at Burnley and Sam Vokes at Wolves. If only Bournemouth could have afforded to have kept them.....
Given the situation that clubs are finding themselves in for going into administration, the future is going to require the Football League to find new ways of taking such clubs to task, because we are going to see a lot of them going under financially. Four clubs this season in League 2 have been penalised with loss of points - it distorts the competition if too many go this way. The Conference clubs are probably in no fit state to replace them either, with big wage bills and small crowds. Rumour has it that Steve Fletcher went to Crawley at the start of this season rather than come to Bournemouth then because he got better money there.
Complain about this comment
Hi Gavin.
This whole EH thing is reminiscent of the situation when Steve Tilson took over at Roots Hall; Southend were on the brink; in comes our ex player with bags of enthusiasm, motivation and commitment to the club achieving outstanding results. As a ‘Dorset Shrimper’ I remember seeing you play for the Blues at Dean Court in 2003 - didn’t think we deserved to lose that one with such a talented team! Anyway good luck Cherries – hope you stay up and go on for promotion next season.
Complain about this comment
Bournemouth either need Chester to draw or 2 pts from their final two games, there's no way Chester can make up the goal difference. I don't think it takes a genius to say that if you'd offered that to Bournemouth supporters at Christmas, they'd have taken it with both hands and been very pleased.
Complain about this comment
Good blog again Gavin. Thanks for featuring us.
What no-one seems to ever mention in debates like this is that Bournemouth, unlike most of the other clubs who have recently been docked points, didn't actually commit any offence before the initial punishment.
The ONLY recently we lost 17 points at the start of the season is because we failed to come out of administration with a CVA. The ONLY reason we failed to do this was because we could not find a suitable buyer for the club. The ONLY reason we failed to do this was because we had been relegated the previous season and as a consequence became a less attractive commercial consideration (and lost a few key players at the same time). The ONLY reason we were relegated (by a single point) was because we had been docked 10 points the previous season for going into administration and the ONLY reason we had done that was because we simply were not good enough to attract sufficient people through the turnstiles every week (not just on days like today) to make us a viable business.
Sure you can argue there was a degree of poor management (off the field I mean) that made us inefficient, but the basic issue was bums on seats.
I'm a fine one to talk having not been to a game this season but I do at least have the excuse of living 50 miles away. Not a very good excuse I agree but there must be 20,000 - 30,000 locals who would go regularly if only the football was better. It's chicken and egg, of course, as the football would be better if there was more money to buy better players.
I think the Bolton Chairman may well be proved right. In this current financial climate we could see a dozen clubs go to the wall this summer. I fear for Bournemouth (and Saints and all the other league clubs in this position. Friendly rivalry is fine, but let's not forget a lot of fans from all these clubs donated money when we were in trouble 10 or 15 years ago.
Leeds have a lot to answer for. Never favourites in Bournemouth after THAT match (featuring your Dad!) but their recent problems led to this clearly dubious league practice of not being able to appeal a points deduction penalty. Bournemouth's punishment was, at best, a double triple penalty (points loss, relegation, more points lost) and, at worst, unfair and probably illegal.
Eddie Howe may well succeed - hope so - but whether his appointment was inspired, luck or simply the only man we could afford, who knows?
Complain about this comment
Thanks for the answer about when you played for Southend. Now I realise why I never knew you played for us..... the Stewart Robson years possibly the lowest in Southend's history!!!
Complain about this comment
Gavin,
As a Daggers fan, I'm delighted with the result today!
There seems to be some problems down at Notts though. For a pretty big club like themselves, they really should not be where they are in the league. I know as a player of the club you can't really speak out as you're probably not aloud.
Anyway, fantastic blogs, have really enjoyed reading them, hope you're still doing them next season!
Complain about this comment
I haven't really understood all the Bournemouth publicity since first getting out of the relegation places. Rotherham haven't been given any of the publicity that Bournemouth have but have been consistently better all season and I include the Eddie Howe era in that assessment.
Complain about this comment
Fair point Chris - The Millers have been great this year, arguably the best team in the league.
Shame we didn't have Eddie all year, perhaps we might have been looking at the play offs or better.
Hey ho, least we both annoyed the idiots at the FL!!
Complain about this comment
Great blog as usual Gavin. I look forward to the day when we can read a regular column from you in one of the sports pages of the papers. Best of luck with your journalism studies.
You mentioned the clubs that have come back from the Blue Square in the past and I, for one, wish Luton Town all the best for next season. I think that they will be among the favourites to win the title and, if Mick Harford can keep most of that squad together, I do not see why they cannot come back to the League straightaway.
I remember many years ago Jimmy Greaves made the point that sometimes a club has to go down in order to get back up again. Luton can do so as can Southampton following their relegation to League One.
Complain about this comment
Gavin
A couple of thoughts for future articles:
1 As it's the end of the season & time for the annual summer merry go round of players in the lower leagues - what do players look for when they choose a club & if you had a choice of 2 or 3 clubs what would be the telling factors?
2 Do players get affected by disruption "upstairs" at clubs. Obviously not expecting you to refer to Notts current problems but it's noticable the teams form has plummetted since the end of February when the boardroom stuff kicked off.
Complain about this comment
Difference with AFCB and Rotherham, is Rotherham have kept much of the squad that challenged the playoffs last season. AFCB lost Vokes, Kuffour, Forde, Gradel, Gowling who all moved to higher level clubs. So we had around 12 professional players come mid summer and no one wanted to sign for us understandably. Also come the new year we were so far adrift after playing clueless football all season, we gave up hope. However, Eddie and Fletch galvanised the team and the supporters, whilst not being paid every week. A little mention to Brett Pitman whos 15 goals have definately played a part
UTC
Complain about this comment
Gavin
What is your opineon about this "new league" idea.
I see no reason why Celtic and Rangers should not be allowed to join the English league. To my knowledge the idea included having no relegation from the top two tiers aswell which quite frankly is a joke and would destroy any sense of competition within all the leagues.
Surely the best way to control the money problems within football is just to control the ridclous amounts of money that goes to the few. Salary caps would not help because where would the excess money go if not to salarys?
Just wondering what are your thoughts on it?
seems like its a pointless issure anyway since only Rangers, Celtic and the Bolton chairman are interested in the idea!
Complain about this comment
How did the players feel, after turning in yet another lacklustre performance yesterday, about being booed as they walked their lap of thank you.
Did any care? Did it make any of you stop and think, yes, well perhaps they do deserve better. I am told you didn't have a bad game as it happens.
Clearly this season the majority of Notts players, most of whom have played at a higher level have not pulled their weight and we are all heartily sick of reading comments in the press by the players of how we are underachieving and we can do better. Except you never ever do, do you?
It is clear to all Notts supporters that Charlie needs a clear out. How we can concede 9 goals to what is for all intent and purposes a non-league club is beyond me. It is a disgrace. There are clearly players on the books that don't care and don't say they do, they don't, otherwise we wouldn't be in the perilous state we are. What is it now, one win in nine or ten matches, what a shambles.
Complain about this comment
Gavin,
The best example of a manager or club resorting to desperate measures in a time of need was in the 1991/2 season when my dad, having previously dropped me from the squad for the previous 15 games, threw me back in against the cubs and I scored a quite tremendous right-footed volley (mark hughes-esque) into the top corner and ran the length of the pitch to my dad who was standing there with his arms wide ready for an embrace, a father and son moment for the ages......
I flipped him the bird, called him some names begining with W and told him to eff right off, the cheek of dropping me just cos I kept getting sent off in training for fouling my own players when they didn't pass to me - pathetic man-management!!!
Complain about this comment
A great job done by guys who have the club in their hearts. A shame the boardroom has not got the same level of love for the place, and a disgrace that the shyster is holding out for a fee for the club when he's not even paid for it yet. Yet another owner with no investment who thinks they can rob our club and enrich themselves
Clubs who go into admin do need to be punished, but being punished twice because Leeds' disgraceful behaviour made the FL feel the need to change the rules. Leeds could easily have been punished for bringing the game into disrepute instead of amending the letter of the law because they disregarded the spirit of the law. We took a punishment on the chin last year and came to within a whisker of staying up
If the FL are going to be this strict with teams, then they also have a duty to vet those who step into boardrooms bearing promised gifts which never materialise. Also the pyramid is broken, the cash in the game needs redistributing properly throughout the whole system. Had just the debt that Man Utd currently bear been split amongst League 1 and 2 clubs none of them would be struggling the way they are, wow, that was a rant, didn't realise I was that angry
Fingers crossed for good boardroom news this Summer, and best of luck to Eddie, Joe, Fletch and Suntan for next year, I'll be kicking every ball with you
Complain about this comment
Gav,
I noticed on saturday you had perfected a new challenge/tackle where you fall on your backside and then flail your elgs towards the ball. The only flaw appeared that you never won the ball.
Why are Notts County net 22nd when you we have an xl capable of top six:
Pilkington or Hoult, Picken, Clapham, Johnno, Edwards, Hamshaw, Thompson, Butcher, Weston, Facey, Forrester.
You might play on paper as you can pass unlike Botcher (typo??)
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS