bedborough
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- Dec 22, 2011
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Woke up this morning thinking to myself what I could now do my career at Alfreton had ended with a bad injury.
Football had been my life and it had all crumbled beneath me, I was shell shocked that just days after the end of last season I was to take my last few touches on the football field. Just another training session before the proper wind down at the end of the season a brilliant campaign had seen us get promoted to the BSP.
Taking up a job locally in the city of Derby, the continual thought of the lads regroupoing after the summer break was causing me many headaches. Id had plenty of discussions with Ex-players including Dean Ashton, who I met at a annual event for players careers ending prematurely.
One thing came out this day, Dean had said if you cannot follow you dream, re-design it. It was a catalyst to what followed. I knew that I had a good business head after compelting my Business Degree at nearby Nottingham Trent University and I had through many networks ways to get my coaching badges and experience. I decided to see what it would be like sitting on the sidelines watching the game I loved.
A few games watching a local Kegworth Sunday team showed me that I still had desire. I found myself speaking with the manager and the coaches at the ground. Asking them why the were doing things in certain ways, and how doing slight tweaks could alter the course of the game. I got what managers would call the "Bug". It was addictive, I found the more I watched the more involved I got. The team themselves seemed to be benefiting from this also, their results had picked up considerably and the local newspaper had noticed my presence.
Once this had happened I had a call from my old Defensive coach Des Lyttle, asking me why I hadnt thought about continuing my involvment with Alfreton, he told me that alot of the players had been very down since the news about me had filtered through and the club in general were going through some instablilty. It was as if the promotion had been a cover up for what was going on with the ownership behind the scenes.
A few weeks passed and I had been toying between Alfreton and my local team. Then a call from Wayne Bradley the then Director of Alfreton asked me to come by for a chat.
The meeting was very strange, current manager Marcus Ebdon and the other members of staff were nowhere to be seen. Wayne told me that with the no reason was I to speak of the meeting outside these 4 walls. He continued explaining that he was looking for change, Wayne was wanting to sell up and also cut costs. He had put a plan in place that would see me join the coaching staff and then move into the hotseat as Aflreton boss. The whole idea was simply far fetched, how could he cover all of this up. I went out of that meeting wondering if I had been stiched up.
A few days had passed with nothing untoward and I continued my coaching and preperation. Then came the single peice of information which put the whole thing into perspective. Marcus had been called into a meeting briefly after the coaching team meeting and in the meeting were alot more people than just Wayne and the baord. Faces that were unrecognisable. As we sat wonering when our own meeting would continue I noticed out in the hall Wayne was speaking to Marcus a pretty heavy discussion and one that ended quite angrily. Marcus was on the phone shouting about things he came into us and said lads well call that a day. We were asked to leave and did so quickly something was defintely flaring up.
I went home that night with the thought that Wayne had told me the truth which was confirmed via a phone call later that night Des rang and said Marcus had walked, he didnt know where that left him as much as where it left me. That night sure enough as I had expected Wayne rang and asked me my thoughts about what had happened. He said this is it, you dont get chances like this often Liam what are you going to say.
My mind rang round if this really was happpening and before I knew it that next day a meeting had been called Press from BBC Derby were waiting in the car park all the news had been let out and I was central do it.
I put pen to paper in front of the cameras as an ex-footballer/ inexperienced manager given a break. It felt like me vs. the world many of the journalist had laughed of the idea and asked questions about how long ill be in the seat and what the players thought about me.
I reluctantly stated to them that I wasnt sure if I was out of my depth or not, however I was determined to give this a shot.
My plan as manager was to fear nothing, play football the way it should be played and demand the respect of what were now my players.
Football had been my life and it had all crumbled beneath me, I was shell shocked that just days after the end of last season I was to take my last few touches on the football field. Just another training session before the proper wind down at the end of the season a brilliant campaign had seen us get promoted to the BSP.
Taking up a job locally in the city of Derby, the continual thought of the lads regroupoing after the summer break was causing me many headaches. Id had plenty of discussions with Ex-players including Dean Ashton, who I met at a annual event for players careers ending prematurely.
One thing came out this day, Dean had said if you cannot follow you dream, re-design it. It was a catalyst to what followed. I knew that I had a good business head after compelting my Business Degree at nearby Nottingham Trent University and I had through many networks ways to get my coaching badges and experience. I decided to see what it would be like sitting on the sidelines watching the game I loved.
A few games watching a local Kegworth Sunday team showed me that I still had desire. I found myself speaking with the manager and the coaches at the ground. Asking them why the were doing things in certain ways, and how doing slight tweaks could alter the course of the game. I got what managers would call the "Bug". It was addictive, I found the more I watched the more involved I got. The team themselves seemed to be benefiting from this also, their results had picked up considerably and the local newspaper had noticed my presence.
Once this had happened I had a call from my old Defensive coach Des Lyttle, asking me why I hadnt thought about continuing my involvment with Alfreton, he told me that alot of the players had been very down since the news about me had filtered through and the club in general were going through some instablilty. It was as if the promotion had been a cover up for what was going on with the ownership behind the scenes.
A few weeks passed and I had been toying between Alfreton and my local team. Then a call from Wayne Bradley the then Director of Alfreton asked me to come by for a chat.
The meeting was very strange, current manager Marcus Ebdon and the other members of staff were nowhere to be seen. Wayne told me that with the no reason was I to speak of the meeting outside these 4 walls. He continued explaining that he was looking for change, Wayne was wanting to sell up and also cut costs. He had put a plan in place that would see me join the coaching staff and then move into the hotseat as Aflreton boss. The whole idea was simply far fetched, how could he cover all of this up. I went out of that meeting wondering if I had been stiched up.
A few days had passed with nothing untoward and I continued my coaching and preperation. Then came the single peice of information which put the whole thing into perspective. Marcus had been called into a meeting briefly after the coaching team meeting and in the meeting were alot more people than just Wayne and the baord. Faces that were unrecognisable. As we sat wonering when our own meeting would continue I noticed out in the hall Wayne was speaking to Marcus a pretty heavy discussion and one that ended quite angrily. Marcus was on the phone shouting about things he came into us and said lads well call that a day. We were asked to leave and did so quickly something was defintely flaring up.
I went home that night with the thought that Wayne had told me the truth which was confirmed via a phone call later that night Des rang and said Marcus had walked, he didnt know where that left him as much as where it left me. That night sure enough as I had expected Wayne rang and asked me my thoughts about what had happened. He said this is it, you dont get chances like this often Liam what are you going to say.
My mind rang round if this really was happpening and before I knew it that next day a meeting had been called Press from BBC Derby were waiting in the car park all the news had been let out and I was central do it.
I put pen to paper in front of the cameras as an ex-footballer/ inexperienced manager given a break. It felt like me vs. the world many of the journalist had laughed of the idea and asked questions about how long ill be in the seat and what the players thought about me.
I reluctantly stated to them that I wasnt sure if I was out of my depth or not, however I was determined to give this a shot.
My plan as manager was to fear nothing, play football the way it should be played and demand the respect of what were now my players.
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