Magazine interview FMP

What made you take up management?

“When I was younger I always looked up to my manager when I played for my local team, so when I got the opportunity to manage myself, it was an easy decision. My sons team had lost their coach and I’d been helping out for a while so I volunteered to take over and implement some of the ideas that I had taken from watching football on television.”

What are some of difficulties you’ve faced whilst managing?

“Teenagers! Trying to get a full team of teenagers out of bed on a Saturday morning is quite possibly the most difficult task in the world. I’ve had some instances where some of my players are playing with no sleep and a massive hangover which does not make for a pretty sight. Organizing fixtures is also really troublesome. There’s a real shortage of referee’s in the game at the moment so it’s pretty much a free-for-all with who can get one. When the weather is bad it makes organizing even harder as the game can be called off at a moments notice so you have to be prepared to let everyone know that the game is cancelled.”

 Would you recommend grassroots management to others?

“Yeah I would definitely recommend it. For all the hassle and bother, the reward far out-weighs it. I’ve experienced so many proud moments when managing my teams which has made me really happy. Without people volunteering, we wouldn’t have any teams to play for so that’s probably the biggest reason i’d give for taking the reins.”