Its July 2014. The World Cup has finished. Germany are still celebrating their triumph in Brazil. Luis Suarez has packed his bags and headed off to sunny Spain. Louis van Gaal has taken over at Man Utd. Arsenal have once again refused to buy a centre half and defensive midfielder they need in order to challenge for the Premier League title.
A 34-year-old Tony Jameson has just completed his National C Level Coaching badges, and is on the hunt for a job. He’s clearly more suited and booted, than part-time PE teacher tracksuit boss.
He knows with the equivalent of a BTEC in Football Management, and only Sunday League experience, he’s hardly going to be given an interview for any of the vacant jobs available in the UK. He’s gonna have to bide his time for the right vacancy to come along. With jobs becoming available at Alfreton, Forest Green, Bristol Rovers, and Tamworth, surely it won’t take that long…
25th September, 2014
After sifting through the junk mail in my inbox, I find an email from the Alfreton chairman, Wayne Bradley, inviting me for an interview at their club.
Alfreton, you might not know, are a little club plying their trade in the Vanarama Conference Premier. They’d just sacked their long-term manager, and they wanted to see if I was the right man to take over.
They asked all the usual questions you’d get in a job interview. «Why do you want to work here». «Tell us about your proudest moment». «What are your plans for the future». I thought the interview went OK, but I still wasn’t 100% sure where Alfreton was.
30th September, 2014
I received notification that my interview at Alfreton was not successful. Also, Forest Green appointed Paul Sturrock without even offering me an interview. Oh well. Plenty more opportunities where those came from, right? Exactly. Bob Andrews, Chairman of Vanarama Conference North side, Tamworth, said he wanted to meet with me to discuss the possibility of me taking over the reigns there.
They wanted to know whether I could lift the club from 17th, to the playoffs. Fuck it, it’s a job interview, I’ll tell them lies if that’s what they want to hear. «Sure, course I can. Especially on next to no budget».
2nd October
Bristol Rovers appoint a new manager, so it’s all down to Tamworth. I get the call. They want me. I tell the wife I’ve got a job in Tamworth. She looks confused as to where that is. I tell her I don’t think it’s too far. She says go far it. I accept.
I attend the usual meetings with the chairman, the board, who try to tell me that Tamworth are a club with a proud history. That’s not strictly true, though, is it? I introduce myself to the staff and players as we’ve only got 2 days to prepare for our trip to 22nd placed, Guisley.
And this is where the story ‘officially’ begins.
