At last! Some real news! [No 173]

[AFF]

While queuing at the newsagents for my copy of the New York Times, I scanned the back page of the St Albans Observer attracted by the headline "Saints close in on new boss".

 

City have been inundated with applications, it says. Gibbo has a clear idea of the type of boss he would like to replace Steve Castle.

 

"I've had some lengthy talks and consulted with the Supporters Club and board of directors. We want somebody who wants non-league football. It is vitally important we get somebody with knowledge of the non-league game."

"We can't rule out for certain an ex-professional, but we would prefer someone with experience of football at this level. They should also be fairly local and have a feel for the club."

 

Various names are mentioned in the article, which is unusual.

 

Tony Choules [Hendon, formerly Northwood], Justin Edinburgh [billericay], Andy Leese [Cheshunt], Peter Risley with Muddie and Steve Clark as assistants, Gary Phillips, Andy Lineghan and Luther Blisset [separately, not all together]. Former boss Steve Castle believes that Dean Hooper should get the job, apparently.

 

Gibbo continues "We don't believe the squad needs major surgery. What is important is that the new man doesn't come in with six or seven of his own players and butchers the squad, because that will create divisions".

 

Referring to the Basingstoke game, the Chairman said "I went into the dressing room at 1.15, told the players we'd had a lot of applicants and many were watching the game, so maybe that inspired them.

"Basically though, they wanted to go out and prove something to Steve Castle, to show that the players he brought in were good enough."

 

There are some interesting quotes from Gibbo on the inside pages.

 

Referring to Castle's departure, he said "I feel desperately sorry for Steve, but he leaves the club as a friend.

"It was most definitely his decision. I haven't spoken to Steve about this but he didn't take the players coach on Wednesday so maybe he had already made his mind up. But the family commitments and F.A. Cup saga definitely took their toll.

"Part of the problem I think was that with him and Richard Thomas they were in a way too nice with some of the players perhaps."

 

Elsewhere the hack describes Castle's record as 'fairly woeful' and compares his nine wins in 47 games with Steve Cooks 15 victories from 38 games. Clearly a statto.

 

Elsewhere another article suggests that Ben Abbey is "believed to have left the club". Perhaps the journo forgot to ask the Chairman in the excitement of what was, clearly, a lengthy interview.

[JKiF]

"Part of the problem I think was that with him and Richard Thomas they were in a way too nice with some of the players perhaps."

 

 

for the love of yer chosen God

[Woody]

Too nice? I find that hard to believe. His communication skills were zero.

[YB941 5thD EFM ~soul~]

All of the above is just incredible nonsense.

 

"What is important is that the new man doesn't come in with six or seven of his own players and butchers the squad, because that will create divisions"

 

Eh? So Gibson expects the new manager to arrive, and have to put up with the players that we've got at the minute? Can you imagine if Garry Hill had been told to do that when he joined in 1998? "Oh, sorry Vickers/Pollard/Jonah/Keen/Meredith etc. I can't sign you because our chairman reckons we can be a successful team with Paul Adolphe, Aziz Akinbolu and Chris Moors at the heart of the side."

 

What rubbish.

[AFF]

Hmmnnn.

 

It's a difficult one, this. There's another interview in the Observer with Steve Castle, and he is quoted "I'm going to carry on with the PASE scheme though, we've created something that could be very good for the club, getting it up to about 30 boys, and it's not their fault that I've resigned, so it would be unfair to stop. [i wondered if herts blue helped with the punctuation to that point.] There is absolutely no animosity between me and the club."

 

Now I don't know how this PASE thingy works and I'm not sure how it is good for the club. I assume that it's part of the great works that Castle and Chris Zoricich do in the community which the Chairman mentions in the press and his programme notes from time to time.

 

If Castle is still a "small part of the team", Gibbo can hardly go to the press and slag the guy off, can he?

 

Too nice? Hmmnnn.

 

The players that he brought in? Hmmnnn.

[Rob_the_Saint]

Quote:

"What is important is that the new man doesn't come in with six or seven of his own players and butchers the squad, because that will create divisions"

Dear oh dear. What he should have said was...

'We would expect the new man to work with the existing squad to a large extent until results pick up, then we can start to look at ways of improving certain areas.'

Keep it vague, say what he should be doing, not what he shouldn't.

How much does the 'ghost writer' get for doing Gibbo's bit in the programme?

[AFF]

Hi Rob.

 

Well herts blue denies any, that's any, executive responsibility for the matchday programme notwithstanding that he is named in it, with two others, as being responsible for it. He admits that he does the managers notes and he quite likes the use of "Second half, we..." rather than "In the second half, we...." as he feels that improper use of grammar adds authenticity.

 

He says that Gibbo does his own material although I have often had my doubts.

 

He doesn't deny that he gets £50,000 a year for taking the teamsheet from the manager to the referee one hour before kick-off, however. Well. Only when Carlisle aren't playing within 250 miles of Hertfordshire, that is.

[YB941 5thD EFM ~soul~]

Quote:

"What is important is that the new man doesn't come in with six or seven of his own players and butchers the squad, because that will create divisions"

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wall.gif" alt="" />

[The Caretaker]

AFF

 

I will briefly outline the PASE scheme for you.

 

It is a college course set up in connection with a football club, in this case Oaklands and City, where boys 16 - 19 attend for a sports science qualification and as part of this they receive a set number of hours being coached in football, I think its morning lessons and afternoon coaching. These boys also represent the club in a PASE league playing against other PASE colleges / clubs. The team should play at the college but last year City played at Clarence Park, this year they are playing at Harpenden Town.

 

It is a government backed scheme and when I looked into it some years ago the college received a grant for each boy who attended. This was somewhere in the region of £3000 per boy (a tidy sum if you get enough boys involved). This pays for both the coaching staff and for provision of kit / equipment / transport etc. for those on the scheme. I'm not sure if the club gets a share of this money but I would imagine it must in some way.

 

The obvious aim is to attract young quality players, (in some cases those who have recently left pro clubs when the culling starts at around 16) with a view to developing a source of young talent for the club. So its no suprise that SC wants to continue with this. He is good at coaching boys at this level and he is paid well to do so.

 

As for "too nice", shame he didnt think of that when he launched his verbal attack on the young lads already at the club a few weeks back. Just makes me laugh when I think back to the young boys from the reserves who have left over the last year who never had this kind of backing from the manager or the club........

 

.......no sod it........... it makes me ..... <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/taz.gif" alt="" />