Football Management - A Life Less Ordinary

[Bravo November]

The Interview

I don't like waiting rooms. Five uncomfortable chairs all surrounding a wooden coffee table with magazines that are two years out of issue. A noisy clock hangs on the opposite wall. Tick after tock after tick after tock. Below it is a picture of the last time Athlone Town won the League of Ireland, 1983! Just as I stand up out of my seat to have a look, a beautiful tall blonde haired woman walks into the room.

Hi Benny, I'm Lucy. Mr Liddy will see you now. I follow her down the corridor, she's slim and very fit. She opens a door and ushers me in with a smile. This is the Chairman's office. Mr Liddy will be with you shortly. I look around as she leaves the room. It's a mess! Documents and boxes everywhere. There's nowhere to sit so I stand and wait. This guy is either very unorganised or a workaholic. The fact that he wants to do interviews on the day after New Year's Day suggests the latter!

A tall fat man walks into the room, he's a big man and even bigger character. "Nice to meet you Brian", it's Benny I replied. He moves a cardboard box full of papers from an office swivel chair. Sit down he says. "Now what's your footballing background, we're looking for someone who can take this club forward." I didn't mention that I was only a Sunday League Footballer and that I had no coaching qualifications or badges! "I can assure you I'm the right man for the job" he interrupted before I had the chance to tell him about all the trophies I had won on Football Manager in the last number of years. "You might have heard about the controversary within the club in recent times, I want to assure that all that is cleared up and we've nothing to hide".

The club had been investigated for match fixing as well as other issues including lack of sponsors for jerseys, not paying players and getting supporters to give lifts to players to away games. I knew the club was a mess but I didn't know what really went on. "There are a lot of interest in the job and we'll be in touch very soon. Thank you for your interest. On your way out can you close the door, I've a phone call to make, thanks Bobby". It's Benny, I replied.

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[Bravo November]

That's News To Me
​

"Good evening, this is the main evening news. A woman's body has been found in a field outside Athlone. The woman was in her forties and is believed to be local. In weather, the cold is set to continue into the weekend. And in sport, Athlone Town have appointed Benny Naughton as their manager!"

Ho ... HOLD ON!!! What was that? I reach for the remote and rewind to the start of the nine o clock news! "And in sport, Athlone Town have appointed Benny Naughton as their manager!"

I couldn't believe it, there had been no word from the club all week and now it's on the national news. I hold my hands on my head in disbelief, I'm not sure if I was happy or shocked!

Before I could get my head around to think of what I've heard, the phone rings. "Hi Benny, it's Lucy Ryan from Athlone Town AFC. I'm delighted to inform you that you've been successful in your application to become manager of the club. Your contract is until the end of the season. You start Monday.

​

 

[Bravo November]

Day One​

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" (Lao Tzu)

My football management journey began with a single step ... deep into a puddle of mud as I stepped out of my car. "You've put your foot in it there", laughed an old man out loud from across the car park. "You must be Benny, I'm Tony the groundsman, kitman, plumber, electrician. Just about anything that needs doing, I do it!"

"You're a bit early, you'll not find anyone here until ten on a Monday morning. Come, I'll show you around".

I imagine Tony is a good man to have around the place, he's been groundsman since the 1970's. He was here during the club's most successful spell.

"Did you know, Tony said with contently, Athlone is the Oldest Club in the country, and one of the oldest in the world! It was founded in 1887. Unfortunately we haven't been the most successful! Just won the league twice. That was when Turlough O' Connor was manager. We had a great side then."

"We moved here in 2007. Before we were playing in St. Mel's Park." I told him that we lived in the estate beside it. I remember back in the eighties and nineties there would be cars filling our neighbourhood every second Saturday. There were fans who came from miles just to see the team play. Back then you'd get thousands at a home game, be lucky to get two hundred these days.

"The capacity is five thousand, only over one thousand are seated, and that's all in the Main Stand." I asked him why it was called the Main Stand as it was the only stand there! The other three sides to the pitch were empty, where people actually had to stand. There was no cover either, just wide open to the Irish elements.

"Recently the pitch has been changed to astro. This means that we can play on it all year round. We have underage teams and a also a very successful Women's Team also using the pitch. The women were just pipped at the end to finish second in the league but they won the Cup. It's the first bit of silverware we've seen here since the Eighties".

 

[Bravo November]

The Team Behind The Team​

The Boardroom is a big long room. In the corner is a mini bar with high stools and tables. I thought I'd finished with Pub Teams! The room is in the centre of the stand and overlooks the pitch. There are sliding doors that open onto the seating area, families and staff can look at the game from inside or take a seat outside when the weather is good.

There must be twenty people seated around the room! Chairman Gary Liddy is centre of attention. "I'd like to welcome our new First Team Manager, Bernard is his name. You'll all get a chance to meet him in the coming days." He walks over to the bar. "Right, this calls for a celebration, open up a bottle of Champagne Lucy." I refrain from taking a glass, we've got training tonight! He raises a glass. "Here's to our new man, we hope he brings success and good entertaining football, coz by God, the last few years was like watching paint dry on the walls!"

There are a few familiar faces. Pat Nally is the First Team assistant manager. Pat trained me when I was in college many many years ago. He was a fantastic coach then and now a club legend. The goalkeeping coach is Stephen Guidan and fitness coach Emmet Egan. Kenny Molloy is a coach with us also.

We've a loan manager with no players loaned in or out! We've a performance analyst, recruitment analyst and a sports scientist. These won't last long while I'm here. We're trying to cut costs and we're overloaded with staff here with little or no taskings. We've just got rid of the Director of Football, there'll be a few more going out the same door!

 

[Bravo November]

The Boys Are Back In Town​

"Guess who just got back today? Them wild-eyed boys that had been away.
Haven't changed, had much to say. But man, I still think them cats are crazy" Thin Lizzy

The players returned for the first training session of the new season. Firstly, they will go through a medical check. This shows who had a good Christmas and who had a great Christmas. Their kit is handed out and straight into an endurance run. A bit of outfield work will follow.

We have thirty four here tonight. It's a mix of First Team and Under 19s. All of the First Team are contracted until the end of the season. Anyone that isn't in my plans won't be offered a contract for next season. All Under 19s are on long contracts with small wages. I plan on having a First Team squad of 29! 11 Under 19s players who will train with us and play with the 19s and then 18 First Team players. I like to rotate and each of the 18 will be given game time to keep their match sharpness high.

 

[Bravo November]

The Greatest League In The World​

There are twenty clubs in the League. We are in the lower of the two division, also known as the basement. We are one of the seven clubs that are semi professional meaning that training is limited to two days per week. So, when we train, we train hard!

Premier Division

First Division

The ten teams will play each other four times. The league starts in February and finishes in October.

 

[Bravo November]

Pre Season​

We have three pre season friendlies, each one on a Friday night. Our training will be mostly fitness right up until the first game of the season.
We will cancel the Friendly against UCD because we need to get the training in.

First game of the season is a tough journey to recently relegated Finn Harps.