Its been emotional......

[From a Gaffa to a Ref!]

Yet again my chance to manage at this level has come to an abrupt end!

 

Used and abused! My short time at Stansted has come to an abrupt end I am afraid to say! I will tell the story from my side and then slip away and I doubt I will ever be seen again in a football manager’s capacity in this area again.

I will start at the beginning! I spoke to Terry Shoe bridge the Stansted chairman around Christmas time regarding the position his club were in. Having full faith in my managing ability as well as knowing many players that are local to the area I offered to take control of the first team and bring in players so the could A) compete in the Senior League and make sure their reserve team did not fold as that was what the press had stated was going to happen. Following several lengthy phone-calls I was informed that they were going to have a meeting and I would receive a call shortly after to let me know what the outcome was. This call was received and I was told that they wanted me and my players to come over. However the lads that were currently running the first team wanted time to see if they could turn things around as well as attract new players. I was therefore asked to take tempory charge of the reserves to show what kind of players I could bring into the club. Even though I knew it would be harder to attract the players that I wanted to reserve team football I was confident that I could get a squad together that was good enough to compete in the reserve league and hopefully get some results on board before I made the step up. I explained that it wasn’t the reserve team job that I wanted as I had already turned down this position at various other clubs but I was prepared to do it on a short term basis to which I was told that this would be the case this was also backed up with various interviews made by Mr Shoebridge to the local press. We had a training session so we could all meet and I had the chance to look at some of the boys already there and I was certain that I could make the club a successful one once again. I decided that this was what I wanted so I cut all ties with FC Risden and took up the challenge. Our first reserve match was a washout and we travelled to Canvey for our opening game. Unfortunately for us it was not the same Canvey Island reserve team that had been out on previous occasions and despite taking the lead and going in at half time level 6 weeks of no football showed as we tired and went down 5-1. On the same day the 1st team lost 4-2 at home to Beaumont. I should of realised things were not quite right at this time as the 1st team wanted to take my centre forward already but he decided that he didn’t want to go and play for them! I then watched the first team against Barkingside and saw 3 performances that showed potential for this level as they lost 1-0 to a poor Barkingside team. The following Saturday I travelled with the reserves to Barking with whom the 1st team played earlier in the season with a certain Mr Thomas bagging a hat trick in a 4-4 draw. The side I took that day had 2/3 players who I had earmarked as first team players and we unlucky to only get a point in a 2-2 draw. On the same day the 1st team grabbed a 1-1 draw with Eton Manor not a bad result on paper but with EM playing 20+ minutes with 9 men you would have expected them to get a victory.

Midweek saw 3 of “my” players travel with 1st team to Potton and they came away with a battering 12-0 it was good to get an insight into the current management tactics and team talks which has to be said were schoolboy, no that’s an insult to schoolboys! Having been involved at senior level as a player I was shocked to hear the tactics the team were given that day,

I was expecting the call to come after that result however the next contact I had was from the current 1st team manager late on Thursday night informing me that he needed my goalkeeper on Saturday! I spoke to the keeper and he said although he wanted 1st team he wanted it when I was there so would rather stay put. I informed the chairman and he said that the Goalkeeper not going would do me no favours getting the first team job. I explained that losing my players to the 1st team would not help me get the results I needed to get the job either! I was told that there were not my players but were Stansted’s players so they should play for whom the current first team manager see’s fit and the players registration may be pulled if they do not comply. I said that at this point that if he wanted me to step down then I would, he said if I did that it would be my own decision

I spoke to the keeper again and explained the situation, I checked his stance on what he would do if it went tits up at Stansted as if he played on Saturday he would not have been able to return to the Saturday League that I had plucked him from. He informed me that he would not go back there this season anyway as they now have a new keeper. I told him to go take his chance in senior football and contacted the Chairman and told him to contact the keeper.

Although not important to the story I feel it important that you get a feel of my mood on Saturday morning. In the early hours my 2 step sons got involved in a fight and both had stitches in their heads from where they was bottled and the youngest broke his wrist. Also with my engine fu***d on my car I have to get the train Stansted and on checking the website these were up the wall as well. Pissed off with the events of the previous evening regarding my keeper as well as all the other [****!!****] I made a knee jerk reaction and told the chairman that I would step down as I am not a reserve team manager and I didn’t want to cause problems for his club regarding the players I brought in. I received no response to this or to the other texts sent throughout the day on which my reserve team were unlucky to lose 1-0 to League leaders Brentwood Town and the first team crashed 5-0 to Barking.

I then spoke to the Chairman on Sunday and saying that I still wanted to be involved and was prepared to talk about the future and my position within the club, I was told that there was to be a meeting on Tuesday night.

Anyway they had a meeting last night and the current management decided that they did not want me to manage the reserve team and they are not prepared to stand down from the current first team so that is me out on my ear. I have left a successful club that was going places and ripped up there side, to take up this new challenge. I wouldn’t have taken the position unless I was guaranteed the position of first team manager in the near future. However the current management set up decided that they didn’t want me there as reserve team manager because they knew I wanted the first team position

 

I have not had many dealings with the guys that run the first team but from what I have seen and heard they are not fit to manage at this level and there man management skills are not very good! However they seem to be the people that think only of themselves and not what would be best for the club hence why they are still running the 1st team. I wish them well because they are going to need it. If Stansted get one victory this season then I will be very surprised. I feel sorry for Terry who I still believe wants me involved and unfortunately those that care about the club have missed out on something good. I am not the special one but I am a good manager and have been successful in the past and I know I would have been a success at this level. However it isn’t going to be so I am off down to the golf course.

 

Good luck to the couple of players that I took to Stansted that are staying there.

 

Good luck to you all and your teams

 

Over and Out an ex Gaffa.

 

[Jenko]

1. I think the Stansted Chairman is a knob. Thats just my opinion after what he said about Eton Manor.

 

2. You have never managed at this level yet you think you would be a success? Why? Jumping up from FC Risden to the ESL is a big step and people with more experience than you, bigger budgets than you and better players than you have failed so I wouldn't be to hasty in saying you would be a success. Playing at this level doesn't mean you will be a success.

 

3. I wouldn't say FC Risden were going places. Look at other teams who have made the transition to the ESL from intermediate football. Apsa and Beaumont have struggled. So I would expect a similar situation with FC Risden.

 

4. If any of your players played against us than I'm sorry but they are no where near good enough.

 

5. Being reserve manager is not a seperate entity but a link between teams with players going in both directions. I have met Reserve team manangers like yourself before and you never last becasue you want to run your own team! Thats not how it works. If players don't want to go up then why be at the club?

 

6. I agree the current Stasted management are poor and lack experience.

 

7. Barkingside are not a poor side and they should have won in double figures not 1-0. Likewise we battered Stansted and came away with a 1-1 after the farce with the ref.

 

8. I think you should have phoned not sent a text if you were resigning.

 

9. I'm not surprized the first team management wanted you gone when you make it obvious you are after their jobs. I think you should have been patient, got a years experience in senior football at reserve level then gone for the first team job.

 

10. Finally why take the job, leave a good club if you didn't want it in the first place?

 

Anyway thats my opinion but I hope you find a new club and are successful.

[From a Gaffa to a Ref!]

1. Find that suprising but I do not know what he is meant to have said. My dealings with the man show a nice fella that loves his football club

 

2.I am confident in my ability to manage players, when I took over Risden they were bottom without a win and were only left in one cup with the same players we finished runners up and won the cup we were left in. I never have worked with budgets so that was not an issue. I know players that were good enough for this level and believe that I could of turned the players that had the potential into players that would be good enough

I know it was a big step but I had players that were good enough and have played at this level and higher. These players were with me at the beggining of the season because they liked playing for my sides despite them receiving offers from clubs in the ESL and above. If you are not confident in your ability as a manager then you should not be doing the job. Would of been a challenge but as I say I am confident in my ability to create a succesful side.

 

3. Off the pitch was the problem, they wouldnt of won the League but would of picked up some useful results and would not have got thumped week in week out.

 

4. None of them did....

 

5. I make you right.....we ran it correctly at FC Risden with players moving between the 2 and I would of done the same had I been 1st team manager. As i said i didnt expect to be running the reserves for a period longer than a couple of games and was told to sort the squad out from the players i was bringing in

 

6. Seem nice fellas who want to do well....but being a gd lad does not make you a gd manager

 

7. As i said that was the one and only time I have seen Barkingside and my opinion that night was that they were a poor side. There league position says they are not a bad side but on that night they were average to say the least.

 

8.You are probably right but as I said with the events of the past 24 hours i was not thinking in stable frame of mind.

 

9+10. They knew when I joined what my intentions were. I didnt leave to become a reserve team manager. As you may have seem most reports regarding the first team say tempory manager.....

 

Also if you read this you will see where I am coming from

 

http://easternfootball.co.uk/mambo/index...28&Itemid=1

 

 

Thanks mate.

 

 

 

[Jenko]

Quality response!!! Well done mate. Done without any slagging off. It seems Stansted have lost someone good I really do hope you find a good club and take them forward. Good luck!

 

...P.S. You can still come on the forums for the banter!

[luckypinkpants]

"P.S. You can still come on the forums for the banter! "

 

Yes, even with sore losers like EMFC!

 

Good Luck Gaffa Mate!

[Hookey]

Sad news Gaffa. A difficult one, I guess in hindsight you should have stayed where you were until you were offered a 1st team post. I've seen it before where people take what what they believe to be temporary jobs only to be stuck there.

 

I don't think your players refusing to play for the 1st team helped, them or you.

 

A) It questions their ambitions to play at senior level.

It questions their committment to the club.

C) It makes the reserve set up look cliquey.

 

EMFC and Luckypinkwotsits are right, keep coming on the forum, not just for the banter, it is also a good place to pick up tips about clubs looking to recruit.

 

All the best for the future Nick.

[Jenko]

Originally Posted By: luckypinkpants

"P.S. You can still come on the forums for the banter! "

Yes, even with sore losers like EMFC!

Good Luck Gaffa Mate!

Well is it better to be a good loser?

[From a Gaffa to a Ref!]

Cheers fellas

 

In response Hookey

 

A) They all had the desire and ambition to play senior football

True but I was the one that gave them the chance and they wanted to show loyalty to me. They came with the intention of getting me to the first team then hoped they would get the chance themselves. Also no player would be able to go back to the standard they was at once they had made a first team appearance. Also and I quote "players didnt want to go and play for a side with kick it into the corner tactics and be on the end of hammerings"

C) True and once I was first team manager then that was something I would of addressed and made sure that it wasnt the case. However as you can see from the newspaper article we needed results to get me to the first team while the current 1st team wanted to stay there so they were after results as well.

 

Manager positions in this League do not come around very often so I will not hold my breathe although I will still pop on here from time to time..

 

I would miss Coachies ramblings too much to stay away!

[Jenko]

Originally Posted By: luckypinkpants

"P.S. You can still come on the forums for the banter! "

Yes, even with sore losers like EMFC!

Good Luck Gaffa Mate!

By the way you are some cnnt.

[Roons]

Jenko and Nick, 2 gooners together, it's like a gay love story!!

[zody]

Gaffa, not knowing you and reading your post, KEEP THE FAITH, it was once said, 'football is a funny old game'

[smallsy]

gaffa obviously i dont know you mate but from what i can see stansteds loss will be someone elses gain. we played stansted and beat them 14-1 and it was a shambles. an embarrassment to the league. they lost 12-0 last week!!!! i dont see how jenko thinks you are being too ocnfident thinking you can turn that around. you have been mugged off in my opinion as you have fcked yourself with risden.

 

i hope stansted sort it out and time will tell what the right thing to do was. obviously people will read what i think and say what the fck does he know? but its all about opinions and mine is they should have gone for a completely fresh approach.

 

 

[Jenko]

Alright Rooney how you been?

 

 

[Jenko]

Originally Posted By: smallsy

gaffa obviously i dont know you mate but from what i can see stansteds loss will be someone elses gain. we played stansted and beat them 14-1 and it was a shambles. an embarrassment to the league. they lost 12-0 last week!!!! i dont see how jenko thinks you are being too ocnfident thinking you can turn that around. you have been mugged off in my opinion as you have fcked yourself with risden.

i hope stansted sort it out and time will tell what the right thing to do was. obviously people will read what i think and say what the fck does he know? but its all about opinions and mine is they should have gone for a completely fresh approach.

Yeah you know f**k midget! I thought he was being a bit too optimistic on what he thought he could do...[****!!****]!

[smallsy]

i dont agree. he wasnt exactly following on from mourinho or ferguson. would have been good for stansted to change the personel. dont blame the players for not wanting to leave their manager either. we all know about difficult reserve team managers as it happens a lot but gaffa was coming to the club expecting the first team job and his players expecting to play for him. not for his players to be poached and him left to rot in ressies. the circumstances meant the players were fcked off about it which i dont blame them.

 

keep trying gaffacos at the end of the day the non league game at this level needs entusiastic people like you.

 

good luck to stansted

[zody]

at the end of the day we are all friends in football, opinions might not always agree but we all love the game, give support, earn respect

[Jenko]

But why take the job then? See how you do in the reserves and then we'll sack the first team???? Come on how does that look to the first team set up? Just say the first team management pulled off some good results and climbed up the table? Then what? Still sack them and employ Gaffa?? Come on it doesn't work like that. I think he was a bit naive and his enthusiasm, while good, probably made him jump without looking.

[smallsy]

well they say opinions are like assholes, we've all got them.

[Jenko]

Originally Posted By: smallsy

well they say opinions are like assholes, we've all got them.

You can be my [****!!****] anytime...

[smallsy]

goalkeeper?