Daniel Oakes - Away from the Dugout
I have now been away from Upton Park for six months, allowing Daniel Feliciano to take the reigns.
In September, three weeks after the deal to bring Feliciano in was finalised, I departed to Barbados for a month. I felt I deserved a holiday and this was the first time I had flown in on a plane, so was a little sceptical. Luckily the beatiful stewardess helped me feel right at home..... When I first landed in Barbados, I knew this was for me. Ling runs of beach, beatiful sunlght and fantastic blue waters excited me highly. One day while I was there, I could have sworn I saw ex Brazilian superstar Ronaldo getting a massage but I could have been wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Sun and was sad to leave. What happens in Barbados, stays in Barbados.
Three days after I returned from my holiday, I thought of returning to what I used to love as a kid, and travelled North to Stoke-on-Trent. I found the number and rang Port Vale Football Club and arranged a meeting with Bill Bratt. In this meeting, I said to Bratt that as a devoted Vale fan, I was interested into making investment into the club. At West Ham, over the five years I have been there, I have earned over £3 million. I announced to Bratt that I would like to invest £1 million into the football club and the only thing I wanted in return was to become a minority shareholder and be welcomed back to the club at any time with open arms. I was going to enjoy this. On 15th November, I attended my first Vale match since I was 20 years old, at home to Rochdale. The Vale sensed I was watching, and from the outset looked nervy. We went in at half time at 0-0 and I found I had to go down and say something. I walked down to the dugout and told the players, 'Lad's, you can do this, look at all the fans out there, they have come to see you. Let's go out and win it for them'. I left them, thinking that I may have had some success getting through. I walked back to my seat and within ten minutes, Louis Dodds had burst through on goal and opened the scoring. I must have looked like a mad man, screaming at the top of my voice. We looked nervy, ten minutes remaining.... Chris Martin hoofs a ball upfield, one bounce and Lewis Haldane had cleared the defenders, GGGGOOOOAAAAALLLLLL. 2-0! I could tell that I had given these young guys a lifeline. I hope that Bill will use the money wisely.
So, after months of watching the Valiant's trials and tribultions down in League Two. It was time to revisit where my management career began, and continues, West Ham United. It was the end of March 2016 and I was sitting at Upton Park watching their European clash with Manchester City. A great performance from the boys I helped develop secured an impressive 2-0 victory. I cannot wait to return I say. At this moment I retrace my thoughts to a newspaper article I read a few months ago.
So, I was to have a new stadium built after me. This means that this is the last season that we will be playing at the infamous Upton Park. After the game I walked down to the pitch and must have walked around on there for half an hour, reciting all the memories I have enjoyed here. It was very emotional as this great stage will never host another football game again after the season 2016/17. I will manage the side in their last ever season at Upton Park.
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