We have had some great managers over the years – Tommy Mac, Jimmy Melia, Len Walker, Gary Waddock and even Terry Brown. But, unfortunately in far too many seasons we have been subjected to a diet of on-pitch failure, orchestrated from the bench, but no doubt controlled by the dark clouds of institutional ineptitude that regularly hang about over the Rec.
Some years ago, I was in the pub next door to the old Underhill Stadium, and I couldn’t avoid overhearing a range of views that were disturbingly similar to those no doubt expressed in Newcastle over the arrival of Ruud Gullit; in north London when Tottenham appointed Christian Gross; following Bolton’s announcement that Gary Megson was to be the new manager; and across England when Steve McClaren was ‘elevated’, and at the Recreation Ground, when we appointed Kevin Dillon.
All good coaches. But so few, good managers.
With Dillon, the all-consuming desire to be ‘his own man’, often led to public statements that appeared insensitive, and actions that were based on unsound judgement. The drive to make an impact on the way we played, appeared from the outside, to be no more than change for change’s sake. Now of course we needed to modify our playing style after Gary Waddock left, but it was only necessary to make our defence more secure.
Despite the free-flowing football that restored League status to the Rec, being quickly understood by the ‘big boys’, in 2008/9, ‘fast breaking attack’ was still our greatest asset. An asset that should not have been discarded lightly. The ‘Dillon way’, did no more than lead to our midfield developing ‘corporate neckache’, as they searched across the sky for the ball, and the approach certainly didn’t feature on the ‘must do list’, that I had sent through to Kevin when he was appointed.
And now we have a board of directors talking up the possibility of upgrading the Rec, or even developing a new Rec, turning our historic old ground into a commercial manager’s dream. Millions of pounds being generated to build our new home, following the creation of a hotel and apartments in the park, the area transformed through a development agreement, and long-term lease, with Rushmoor Borough Council.
However, trust in the board might be wearing thin, with most of the individuals being the same alert and far-sighted directors who considered that Danny Searle was the man to drive our club up to the ‘promised land’ of mid table security – and surely higher than our current status, bottom of the National League.
Lewis Carroll died in January 1898, at his sister’s house in Guildford, Surrey and was buried in the Mount Cemetery. His last great work was, The Hunting of the Snark – a classic example of literary nonsense. An unusually long poem for Carroll and full of darkness.
‘The Bellman, who was almost morbidly sensitive about appearances, used to have the bowsprit unshipped once or twice a week to be revarnished, and it more than once happened, when the time came for replacing it, that no one on board could remember which end of the ship it belonged to.
They knew it was not of the slightest use to appeal to the Bellman about it-- he would only refer to his Naval Code, and read out in pathetic tones Admiralty Instructions which none of them had ever been able to understand-- so it generally ended in its being fastened on, anyhow, across the rudder.
The helmsman used to stand by with tears in his eyes; he knew it was all wrong, but alas! Rule 42 of the Code, "No one shall speak to the Man at the Helm," had been completed by the Bellman himself with the words "and the Man at the Helm shall speak to no one."
So, remonstrance was impossible, and no steering could be done till the next varnishing day. During these bewildering intervals the ship usually sailed backwards.’
From ‘The Preface’, The Hunting of the Snark – Lewis Carroll
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