Prologue
My name is Andy. Typical bloke who loves football-massive Everton fan of 29 years. Nothing major going on in my life. Live in Newcastle by myself following a failed relationship. Just me and my love for football. I also hold an FA Level 2 coaching badge-and now I await an opportunity to achieve a life long ambition. Managing a football club. I didn't care how big the club, or where. I knew I could do it, all I needed was that chance. But finding a job in managing a club, is like looking for a job full stop. ****** hard. But it's harder in football. When a chairman gives you that chance, he's taking a big gamble, regardless of who you are. So they have to be absolutely certain, one thousand per cent certain, you can deliver.
Because basically, it's more than the club that's being gambled on. It's livelihoods too. All the staff are involved. Players, coaches, even as far down as the cleaners. If you take charge of a club, and things go badly and end up being relegated, it affects everybody. And it can effect the area outside of football too. And given how badly things are in football right now, in and outside the club, it is a major gamble.
But I was confident I could deliver. I knew everything I needed to know about management now. And I knew a lot about the basics of football before I took up the course. I may sound arrogant...perhaps I am. Looking back in hindsight it was a confident arrogance. I felt that if a club gave me the chance, I could deliver the goods. If I had to I would start at community level clubs. Which is harder than it sounds. Clubs at level are folding at an alarming rate. Costs cripple them, and there's also the number of dropouts too. Things are very tough all the way from the top level all the way to the bottom.
But the worst part of getting into management-is you're new blood. If you can't get a management job, how are you supposed to get the experience? So you've got to go all out to convince the board, the players, the fans, the press that you're good enough to assume the responsibility-no matter how much you know about football. Even if you know you can do it, you have to convince everyone at the club. Like being a telesales agent. Phoning up people you don't know, and trying to convince them that the product you're trying to sell them, is in their best interest. It's ****** hard. And you have to be determined, patient and confident enough to convey that message.
Fortunately, I had been a telesales agent before, and knew the best way to sell myself. I had excelled myself in telesales. Obviously, this would be a totally different scenario. But I knew I could do it. But could I cut it as a manager? Read on and I'll tell you my story.........................
