in early September.We won 2–1 but I had not put in one of my best displays and had generally been guilty of wasting possession. In injury time I had tried to keep the ball in the opposition’s corner to try to wind the clock down. Unfortunately they’d managed to nick the ball off me, break up the other end and hit the crossbar. We’d got away with it but the gaffer was not happy. In the dressing room after the game he began to have a go at me. I raised my hand, acknowledged that it was my fault and apologised, but, in his very matter-of-fact way, he said: ‘Don’t fucking apologise, just don’t fucking do it again!’ That may not seem like much, but the way he delivered it was enough to focus my mind and ensure I raised my level of performance.
After that game we were top of the League, which was quite a sight considering the low expectations held at the start of the season.
A spanking away to Boston United aside, we continued our excellent form until the club was hit by a big blow at the end of September.
We’d laboured to a 3–2 victory at home to Morecambe and had been working with the manager long enough to know that he would not be happy. We were expecting a rocket – except the rocket never materialised. Instead the manager told us how proud he was of all of us but he was resigning with immediate effect.
The silence was deafening.
I, for one, was devastated. My career finally looked like it was going somewhere, but the man making it happen was leaving.
It transpired that Southend United, where the manager was a legend after taking them to what is now the Championship in a previous spell, wanted to give him an opportunity to manage back in the Football League. To me it did not seem like that much of a forward step as we were arguably in better shape at the time, but David had made his mind up. He left us in a great position – second in the League and only two points behind big-spending Rushden & Diamonds – but that was not much of a consolation. I am still convinced that if he had stayed we would have won the title.
The manager leaving had no effect on us on initially. Steve Thompson took his default position as caretaker manager and we continued with the same form. We spanked Dover Athletic 4–0 at home (a game in which I scored) and then grabbed a good point away against a strong Hereford United team at Edgar Street.
The rumour mill had identified our new manager correctly and everything was confirmed after the Hereford game, where he had been watching in the stands.
Colin Addison strode into the club with the attitude and look of someone a lot younger than his sixty years. His style was a lot different to David Webb’s – he was a lot more laid-back – but I instantly liked him. Being the experienced and intelligent football man he was, Colin quickly identified that very little needed changing and he ensured that we continued as we had done.
His match-day style was very different to the previous manager’s as well. David Webb was very detached before a game, saying nothing about the opposition and just letting us get on with it. Colin, on the other hand, was very thorough. I guessed this was from his European background as he had previously managed both Celta Vigo and Atlético Madrid.
Before our first game under his stewardship, away to Northwich Victoria, we had a lengthy meeting to discuss the strengths of the opposition. I finished the meeting a nervous wreck – Colin had talked one of their players up so much I thought he was Zinedine Zidane! Turned out I needn’t have worried because we won 2–1 and I scored our equaliser with an acrobatic volley.
During the early part of Colin’s reign there was plenty of speculation in the local press that David Webb wanted to sign a host of Yeovil players. The morning after that Northwich win I was in bed nursing my customary post-game hangover and scanning the papers when I had a phone call from Mr Webb. He politely enquired how I was
After that game we were top of the League, which was quite a sight considering the low expectations held at the start of the season.
A spanking away to Boston United aside, we continued our excellent form until the club was hit by a big blow at the end of September.
We’d laboured to a 3–2 victory at home to Morecambe and had been working with the manager long enough to know that he would not be happy. We were expecting a rocket – except the rocket never materialised. Instead the manager told us how proud he was of all of us but he was resigning with immediate effect.
The silence was deafening.
I, for one, was devastated. My career finally looked like it was going somewhere, but the man making it happen was leaving.
It transpired that Southend United, where the manager was a legend after taking them to what is now the Championship in a previous spell, wanted to give him an opportunity to manage back in the Football League. To me it did not seem like that much of a forward step as we were arguably in better shape at the time, but David had made his mind up. He left us in a great position – second in the League and only two points behind big-spending Rushden & Diamonds – but that was not much of a consolation. I am still convinced that if he had stayed we would have won the title.
The manager leaving had no effect on us on initially. Steve Thompson took his default position as caretaker manager and we continued with the same form. We spanked Dover Athletic 4–0 at home (a game in which I scored) and then grabbed a good point away against a strong Hereford United team at Edgar Street.
The rumour mill had identified our new manager correctly and everything was confirmed after the Hereford game, where he had been watching in the stands.
Colin Addison strode into the club with the attitude and look of someone a lot younger than his sixty years. His style was a lot different to David Webb’s – he was a lot more laid-back – but I instantly liked him. Being the experienced and intelligent football man he was, Colin quickly identified that very little needed changing and he ensured that we continued as we had done.
His match-day style was very different to the previous manager’s as well. David Webb was very detached before a game, saying nothing about the opposition and just letting us get on with it. Colin, on the other hand, was very thorough. I guessed this was from his European background as he had previously managed both Celta Vigo and Atlético Madrid.
Before our first game under his stewardship, away to Northwich Victoria, we had a lengthy meeting to discuss the strengths of the opposition. I finished the meeting a nervous wreck – Colin had talked one of their players up so much I thought he was Zinedine Zidane! Turned out I needn’t have worried because we won 2–1 and I scored our equaliser with an acrobatic volley.
During the early part of Colin’s reign there was plenty of speculation in the local press that David Webb wanted to sign a host of Yeovil players. The morning after that Northwich win I was in bed nursing my customary post-game hangover and scanning the papers when I had a phone call from Mr Webb. He politely enquired how I was
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