From the bottom to the top

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I want to be a football manager

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It's not very often that you can venture into football management without having any prior involvement in the game, although some Sunday league experience can help I guess. Yet, I have neither a professional, semi-professional or even a Sunday league background but I want to be a football manager. How am I going to get my foot on the first rung of the ladder? It would seem like I will have a big ask on my hands trying to get my first job in football, no? Maybe, maybe not.

Anyway, here's a little about me. I'm from Glasgow, Scotland, I'm twenty-six and I'm unemployed. Truth be told I never was a good football player, I mean I was okay at right back due to my pace but I was a tad erratic and aggressive at times. That and my lazy teen attitude culminated in me giving up playing for the boys club I played for from the age of five. In terms of having a career and setting life goals I hadn't quite managed to do either until this past year. I had an epiphany one day 'football management can't be too hard' and that was that, I had an idea, it seemed to stick and although somewhat unrealistic I had the support from my father than enabled me to go on and gain the coaching badges that I'd need if I was to become a professional manager. I was luckily enough to have a fortunate upbringing due to my fathers career. If I can remember rightly he started off as an engineer working off shore on the oil rigs before moving back to Glasgow and building his own business, he apparently dabbled in the stock market here and there to begin with and then got quite good at it that he took up a job in the industry full time. I guess over time he managed to build up a fair bit of wealth. Wealth which he decided that he would like to invest on a new project.

 

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My dad, the owner of a football team?​

Football has always been a big thing in my family, particularly between my dad and I. Having grown up Rangerss fan myself, my dad and a couple of my cousins regularly went to matches at Ibrox and I had a season ticket for a couple of years before my dad decided to give them up as we couldn't get to as many games as we would like due to his busy work schedule. That said, we went when we could. When Rangers were going through the rough patch that we had after going into administration my dad was always talking about investing some money in them but with the mercenaries that were floating around at the time he decided against it. Wise choice I'd say. No one want's to work alongside a Charles Green or a Mike Ashley amongst many other loonballs who staked an interest in the club. I guess it got him thinking because we would regularly look at teams which could be interesting to take over. You know, those sleeping giants with their huge crowds but continuous poor seasons. Leeds. Newcastle. Those types. Obviously those teams are a bit out of reach though. There was one team that we talked about on numerous occasions over the course of a couple of years. A team which just a decade ago was playing in the Premier League but was on a steady, rapid fall to the bottom of the English leagues.


When the phone call came from my father about his latest project I couldn't quite believe it, I mean, we spoke about it and he said it was something he would love to do but never in a million years did I think he'd actually go for it. To buy a football club is a huge thing. To buy a club that is in free-fall.. That's something else. Nevertheless, my father was telling me that he had been in talks with the board for weeks in private, he kept the thing secret from his own family for crying out loud, and that keeping it low profile ensured that there was no pressure on either party which enabled them to complete the deal much quicker than expected. My father is the owner and chairman of a football club. What. The. I've got to say though, there is no chance I'm going to watch them play they are absolutely atrocious.

 

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Why would you want to put me in charge?​

It has been a bit of a hectic time for my family after my dad's decision to buy afootball club and I must admit he has had us all a bit stressed helping him move and what not. Having previously said that I wouldn't be going to watch the side play my father appeared to have other ideas as he sat me down to have a serious discussion with me. "Son I know this is going to come out of the blue for you but I'm moving down to England and I want you to come with me," he said. "What? Why?" "Well I'll just come out with it Chris, you aren't going anywhere or doing anything with your life right now, you said you wanted to be a football manager so I paid for your coaching badges but have you even been looking for any jobs?" he fired back. "Well emm, yeah kinda," I replied. "Well emm, yeah kinda?" "What kind of answer is that!" he retorted. "Here's what's going to happen Chris. I'm moving to live closer to the club and you are going to come and live with me for a while before finding your own place. You are going to work for me at the club." "So I'm twenty-six and you're trying to tell me what to do, what the ****? I'm not going to be your skivy if that's what you think, what do you want me to do?, I sneered. "Lose the attitude kiddo, I want you to be my manager of course." But, emm, hmm, what? Why? Really? I thought you wanted to make money from this, why would you want to put me in charge?" I stumbled. "Jeez you're making me reconsider here kid. You're qualified, the team is a mess, I need someone I can trust and I want us to get back that bond that we once had when we used to go to games together. I miss that. I think we could be on to something here and I want you to be a part of it. What do you think? he asked." "Emmm yeppppp, that actually does sound like a really good idea, I've missed the way we used to be. I can't believe this is actually happening but yes dad, I would love to be the manager of your team." I exclaimed.