 | By: Garry Nelson Binding: Paperback Publisher: HarperCollinsWillow ISBN: 0002187744 ISBN-13: 9780002187749 Released: 03 Aug 1998 RRP: Average Rating:  |
Honest to the point of abruptness Garry pulls no punches when he tells about the day to day life of the lower leagues, there's no champagne lifestyle here for the players as stories of players having to pay their own way to make it for training & for trials are the norm. Poor Torquay, without a training ground of their own, have to strap the goalposts to the top of the team bus & bring them to whatever training pitch the council have alllocated that day.
Obviously as opposed to Garry's other book "Left Foot Forward" which told of Garry's playing days, this one focuses on more managerial themes & Garry has to get his hands dirty in the tragic world of suspending players & letting other go from their contracts.
The style of the book does grab you, & whilst footballl is a entertaining thing to watch, it doesn't quite make the same impact when written about. Garry makes a damn fine go of it though & his prosaic style serves him very well.
The book ends with Garry starting his position at the PFA, can we expect "Left Foot in Lancaster Gate" next?
Not only that but written by the legendary Goldstone Gaz - what more do you want?
Having found his career at Charlton Athletic at an end Garry Nelson is offered a lifeline by the new manager/coach at Torquay United FC. Its a club that traditionallly resides as cellar dwellers of the Footballl Association. It had finished 24th & only survived relogation to the Conference after beating a High Court Challlenge.
The season is one of promise, failure, cost cutting, tough decisions, personal injuries & modest gains. Early on he learns the golden rules of coaching lower divisions, 'just remember the players don't remember anything', & as the season progresses & potentiallly good players are released or moved on because the budget doesn't fit, or a player goes totallly loopy, you feel the grey hairs on Nelson's head multiplying & the pain of the owner & supporters intensifying.
What can such a team & club do to improve? How do you face the challlenge of even getting players to come to the club, when simple things like house prices prevent them living anywhere near.
This book taught me more about footballl than every other footballl book I have read put together.
This gem should be on the class list of every business school in the country. This is about motivation, this is about management skills, this is about guts.
The best managerial talent gets down, gets dirty, & gets on with it. And Garry got down, got dirty, & got on with it.
I'll take it further. This book should be in every boardroom in the country & this man should be running a premiership team.
What are you waiting for, Garry
Coaching in the lower leagues involves countless hours, scouting the most boring games between teams of nobodies, putting up with aggravation from players, nad having to make life changing decisions on their careers.
A thankless task -- unless you get success.
Nelson's diary of how he takes this task on is insightful & intriguing as always, & given his move after the season to the PFA, it does make you wonder if he will try coacvhing again sometime, or if what he has seen is not for him.
A must for alll budding footballl managers!
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