Gosport Borough F.C. - The Rise to the Premiership

[Revotsew]

Gosport Borough F.C - The Rise to the Premiership

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Gosport: A town located on the British South Coast which lies on a peninsula on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour opposite the City of Portsmouth. A town with a population of 85,000 yet with less than half of adults in employment, that's only notable landmarks are a Naval Base and a view of the Spinnaker Tower across the water. That is, until now.

With the previous mayor, Wayne Ronayne, stepping down after being banned from all 36 pubs in the town, the new mayor and his deputy, Keith Farr, decided it was time for change. Time for Gosport to be recognised for something positive, something more than it's nice view of the neighbouring city. They decided to organise a fundraiser event at Privett Park, the local team's football stadium, to raise awareness for the club and money to try to move the club, and town, forward. Manager Alex Pike led them to the final of the FA trophy in 2013/2014, but was forced to stepped down to focus on family commitments as his wife, Susanne, had been offered a job abroad.

Loyal fan, 42 year old Robert Hartman, better known as Bob, has been a season ticket holder since his father took him to his first game at the age of 6. His grandfather was even a centre back for Gosport for 12 years. After doing his FA Level 1 and Level 2 coaching qualifications, Bob coached a local U10's team 2 days a week, with great success! He left his job as a council office worker to pursue coaching full time. After tirelessly searching for, and failing to find, a position, he decided that perhaps it was time to return to his 9-5. Then his phone rung, an unknown number, so he answered. It was Paul Andrews, the chairman of Gosport Borough FC, who he'd exchanged words and numbers with at the supports club some 3 or 4 years ago.

Paul had heard from a couple of the staff at the supporters club that Bob was looking for a coaching job and thought that perhaps Bob would be interested in working along side the other coaching staff at Gosport during the pre-season while they search for a manager. Bob, of course, gladly accepted!

After a month, the players and coaches realised Bob had something different, something special, and pleaded with the Chairman to offer him a chance to lead the club for a season. Predicted 18th in the Vanarama Conference South, Paul Andrews realised he had nothing to lose...

 

[SamPeters]

Good luck with Gosport! will be interesting to see what you can do with them

 

[Revotsew]

First things first, Bob had to do something he'd never done before, and that was assess his players and decide on a tactic involving 11 of them. He was used to coaching kids on small pitches with teams of 6-a-side.

Key Players

Alex Pike, the previous manager, had just brought in a new striker, Paco Saez, who showed great potential. He was well-rounded physically and was easily the best finisher in the team. He could score with the ball at his feet or with his head, he knew he had to try and base a team around this guy, getting him firing on all cylinders would be a huge boost for the team.

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Steve Ramsey is another really important player for us this year. He's another well-rounded player who has the ability to score from outside the area. A good passer of the ball but not the best defensively, Bob thought he'd have to make sure to partner Steve Ramsey with somebody who can sit back and protect to let him push up on the edge of the box to cause the opposition problems.

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What needed strengthening

One thing Bob noticed was the real lack of quality wingers and full backs. As it stood he was playing his best right winger in right back and a striker on the right of midfield. He also knew that being as tight at the back as possible was integral to success here, with Paco Saez amongst the other forwards, he knew that there'd be no problem scoring goals. Because of this he stuck to a structured, flat 4-4-2, the aim was to have a player in each position to do a specific job, rather than letting them roam and pick jobs up.

After a meeting with the scout, Bob approached 4 players. 3 were without a club and 1 was a potential loanee.

New Faces

Adam Bygrave was the first to join. A big, determined centre back who had a leap on him. This added some squad depth to the team, with 3 centre backs of similar quality Bob knew he could safely rotate without jeopardising the teams defensive ability.

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Barney Williams joint on loan from Welling United. Although naturally right sided, he can play left back which made him a very useful signing for Gosport. He may not be the most gifted player, but he'll definitely be able to a job.

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David Adepipe is the best of the buys, a great find from the Gosport scout! The quick right winger offers yet more depth down the right side, the side Bob realised was really lacking in players. He's an excellent dribbler and crosser of the ball, who could really become the major threat for Gosport.

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Frankie Sawyer is easily the quickest player in the team, albeit not particularly strong in any other part of his game. After some research and meetings with the more experienced members of staff, Bob decided to go on the hunt for a speed demon that would be an effective 70th minute sub. Late in the game defences will have tired legs, Bob thought.

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The Tactic

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A flat 4-4-2, with the wingers supporting the full backs and allowing them to push up and overlap as both sides are very good offensively. Stuart Green is much better defensively than Ramsey, which allows him to push on and cause the opposition defence problems as planned. The big surprise in the formation is the use of Ben Gerring, naturally a centre back, partnering Saez up front. Bob's thought behind this was to use the strongest and biggest player as something to aim for, to win the ball in the air and flick the long passes on to Paco Saez.

 

[SamPeters]

Some good players brought in there and with the right development im sure they will do well for ya!

 

[Revotsew]

Pre Season

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Gosport's friendlies were a mixed bag. The 6-0 win against non=league team Swindon Supermarine was clearly the biggest positive as Bob decided to give Saez a rest and Gosport still managed to score 6 while keeping a clean sheet.

The biggest negative was the 4-0 loss to Portsmouth, who of course they were expected to lose heavily too. Albeit a friendly, Bob hates losing to his, and Gosport's, biggest rivals.

August 2014 - Results

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Chelmsford 1 - 3 Gosport

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As a whole, August was a success for Bob! The first competitive game of the season was a 3-1 win against Chelmsford, a game that Gosport was expected to lose. With Gerring nodding on a long pass from deep to Paco Saez resulting in a a goal 6 minutes in to his debut, and Gerring following it up 15 minutes later the game looked as good as over within the first 20 minutes. Chelmsford equalised just before the half hour mark though, which gave Bob some work to do during his half time team talk. Left Back Brett Poate scored in the 72nd minute to make it 3-1, which is how it finished.



Gosport 2 - 0 Wealdstone

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This was an even game for the first 40 minutes with possession and shots tied until Paez scored a tap in from a scrap in the box. Wealdstone centre back Sean Cronin got sent off just before half time after getting his second yellow card, which put them on the back foot from kick off of the second half. Bob made some tactical changes at half time to try and make sure that 10 man Wealdstone didn't equalise. Mike Gosney put the game beyond doubt when he converted a penalty in the 69th minute.

Gosport 1 - 3 Maidenhead

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Things looked positive for Gosport after Ben Gerring, the centre back, scored his second goal of the season from a great cross by the left winger in the 22nd minute. This all changed when Maidenhead scored a header in the 33rd minute and again just before half time, but this time it was Gosport's own bad defending from a corner that allowed Regis to power a header in. Emanuel-Williamson scored a third for Maidenhead just after half time with a great curling shot from outside the area on his debut.

Weston-Super-Mare 0 - 1 Gosport

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Gosport were forced to play two 16 year olds in defence due to injuries against Weston-Super-Mare, which lucky paid off with a clean sheet! Weston-Super-Mare just edged the possession with 51%, but a 77th minute 25 yard shot from Lee Wort, who was playing to allow Saez to rest, was the difference.

Concord Rangers 1 - 3 Gosport

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Concord Rangers took the lead in the 35th minute from a free kick out wide, but Steve King scored his second goal in the wrong again a minute afterwards. Gosport scored 2 in the following 5 minutes, a close range volley from Saez and a powerful long range shot taken with power from Adepipe, meaning Bob's boys went in to half time 3-1 up. Bob made some tactical changes to secure the 3-1 lead, putting them 4th in the league at the end of August!

 

[JMocks]

Good month for you and the lads. Keep it up.

 

[Revotsew]

Some good players brought in there and with the right development im sure they will do well for ya!

Thanks bro! I hope so, I always forget how often you have to rotate in these leagues cause nobodies conditioning is over 70 by the end of the game, so I better get some more depth going soon!

Good month for you and the lads. Keep it up.

Fingers crossed! The inconsistency really shines sometimes though haha

 

[SamPeters]

Apart from the Maidenhead game you had a great month! hopefully you can build on that and go on to have a successful season

 

[Revotsew]

September 2014 - Results

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September has gone slightly less well for Bob and Gosport Borough. 2 league defeats in a row at home damaged morale and hurt Bob, this is the first time in his short managerial career that he's had to deal with bad results and a negative atmosphere in the dressing room. "Is this the end of the honeymoon period?" he thought to himself when he got home from the Whitehawk game.

Clearly something's up with Gosport playing at home, with only 1 win out of 4 home games and 5 wins out of 5 away from home. Fortunately, despite the shaky home form, Gosport are currently sitting 5th in the league with a game in hand.

Gosport 0 - 2 Boreham Wood

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This game was massively dominated by Boreham Wood, who had 60% possession and nearly double the amount of shots as Gosport. An early goal from Sam *** put Gosport on the back foot from 5 minutes in, and they were left chasing the game for the rest of the afternoon. Lee Angol managed to tap in a rebound after the Gosport defence failed to clear the ball from a corner.

Bob Hartman appeared for the first time to talk in front of the local media for the post-game press conference, where he was pressed about not only the result, but the poor performance his squad put in. "We weren't good enough today" said Hartman, "we weren't fighting for the ball or closing down quickly enough, and we were far too sloppy in possession" he elaborated. He clearly looked uncomfortable talking to the media, before leaving the stadium he said "Any sort of media attention is foreign to me. I'm used to minding my own business behind a desk in a council building and now I've been thrown in front of The Daily Echo. This is a transitional period, not only for Gosport Borough FC, but for me. I will talk to you when I feel it's necessary, but Mick, my assistant, will do most of the talking."

Gosport 1 - 2 Whitehawk

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Another early goal threatened put Gosport in a tricky situation, Sean Shields scoring an easy finish, a drilled cross found him completely unmarked with the keeper out of position. Another goal came just 3 minutes afterwards as John Paul Kissock converted a freekick given away by new centre back Adam Bygrave. Gosport looked down and out until Gerring smashed home a great shot on the turn in to the roof of the net, a strike any forward would've been proud of as the centre back takes his tally to 3 goals in 4 games. Unfortunately for Gosport, Whitehawk managed to hold on to the one goal lead for the remainder of the game.

Bromley 0 - 2 Gosport

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This time it was Gosport who took the early lead with an own goal 58 seconds in to the game. Matthew Paterson converted a penalty just over 10 minutes later to make it 2-0. Gosport's disciplinary record took a hit in this game, with 4 yellow cards being dished out - 2 of which were given to Stuart Green who was ordered off the pitch in the 80th minute by referee Alan Hopkins.

Hemel Hempstead 1 - 2 Gosport (FA Cup)

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Hemel Hempstead took the lead 10 minutes before half time with a great shot from striker Jamal Lowe. It wasn't until the 74th minute that Gosport found the equaliser, left winger Adam Wilde scored a stunning strike to win the game with just 9 minutes to go.

 

[JMocks]

Not a good month as far as the league matches go. Hopefully October is better!

 

[Revotsew]

October 2014 - Results

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Another mixed month in October, with 2 wins and 2 losses in the league and being knocked out in the FA Cup. It started so well for Bob this month, with a 4-1 win over Hemel Hempstead, and then it suddenly nosedived with a 5-1 defeat against Bath.

Gosport 4 - 1 Hemel Hempstead

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A good win for Gosport in a game that, statistically, was very even. Paco Saez got his name on the team of the week after a brilliant performance with 2 assists and a goal to his name.

Bath 5 - 1 Gosport

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With Morale high after 3 wins in a row, Bob's boys went in to this game expecting a similar result to the last two game, and boy were they wrong. It was looking positive for Gosport after just 11 minutes when Mike Gosney converted the dubiously given penalty that was awarded for a foul that sent Paco Saez tumbling just inside the box. 3 goals in 20 minutes for Bath put Hartman's side 3-1 down at half time. Bob could see the players were struggling out there, they were beginning to fall apart. "I have faith in you lads. You have it in you to turn this around!" Bob said Passionately, "Let's push up and try to get a goal within the first 10 minutes of this second half, then we're back in the fight for a point!". Unfortunately though, for Bob, throwing players forward was a mistake as Bath scored 2 counter attack goals within 6 minutes of the second half kicking off.

Whitehawk 2 - 2 Gosport (FA Cup)

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Bob consciously decided that the FA cup was merely a secondary competition, although a good run would help the finance of the club. Having already got as far as the board and fans expected, Bob put out a heavily rotated side with U18's making up 3/4 of the defence. The enthusiasm of these young players showed in the first half as they went 2-0 up, although their inexperience took over close to half time, where they dropped the lead and the game finished 2-2.

Gosport 3 - 4 Whitehawk (FA Cup Replay)

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Rotated once again, condition forced Bob to play a stronger team than he wanted to in the replay of the FA cup clash against Whitehawks. It was a very even game with both clubs taking the lead on seperate occasions. It looked as though it was going to go in to extra time until Danny Mills scored his second goal of the game in the 88th minute.

Bob appeared to talk to the local newspaper after the game where he was asked about whether he was disappointed to have been knocked out of the cup. "Of course I'm disappointed, we all are disappointed whenever we lose a game, nobody likes losing" he said Calmly, "But we can now focus more on the league and try to prove the critics wrong"

Gosport 1 - 0 Eastbourne

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A good defensive display from Gosport against Eastbourne showed Bob that the extra training that had been put in to defensive training prior to the match had paid off. Paco Saez scored a great shot on the turn from outside the area.

Ebbsfleet 3 - 2 Gosport

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Bob's half time team talk clearly worked wonders against Ebbsfleet, having gone in 2-0 at half time Gosport managed to equalise it with a Stuart Green header from a corner in the 88th Minute. However, the players were obviously too busy celebrating their comeback as Anthony Cook scored close range header from kick off.

Other Notes

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35 year old striker Andy Forbes is unhappy about the lack of first team football he's been getting. Unfortunately for Andy, he'll have to wait his turn as Paco Saez, Ben Gerring, Lee Wort and Matthew Paterson are all performing and training to a higher standard than he is.

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Bob knew that his coaching knowledge was basic, and if he was to take the club much higher he'd need to improve his knowledge, as well as the teams performances. After a meeting with his assistant, Bob decided it would be a good idea to ask the chairman whether he could do a coaching course to improve his skills as a coach. Bob was disappointed that Paul Anderson didn't share the same passion for the club improving as he did, but bit his tongue to avoid causing an argument with his boss.

P.S - is there too much writing in this story for you's? Let me know if you'd like the format changed at all, or if you like it how it currently is. More than happy to do whatever makes it most enjoyable for you's.

 

[JMocks]

Mixed results. Tell the lads to pick it up! Story is fine man. Keep as is!