Memory Lane The 2003-04 season management circus

[Yorkshire Blue]

Who was Stan's coaching dream team when he threw his hat in the ring? Was it something like Matt Elliott and Garry Parker? They were all big name players with top flight careers, headed by an international striker.

It was autumn and we'd just sacked our experienced coach who we'd only appointed in the summer. Fans had never really warmed to him, perhaps because of his connections to our Essex rivals. Ron's preferred candidate was Ian Atkins who hardly set pulses running but that move fell through. We even managed to lose our caretaker manager and had to appoint a second(!) caretaker manager. Everything seemed such a mess and the club was lacking direction. Ron didn't seem to know what to do and people were calling for him to go.

It seems a world away from where we are today.

 

[Napster]

Who was Stan's coaching dream team when he threw his hat in the ring? Was it something like Matt Elliott and Garry Parker? They were all big name players with top flight careers, headed by an international striker.

It was autumn and we'd just sacked our experienced coach who we'd only appointed in the summer. Fans had never really warmed to him, perhaps because of his connections to our Essex rivals. Ron's preferred candidate was Ian Atkins who hardly set pulses running but that move fell through. We even managed to lose our caretaker manager and had to appoint a second(!) caretaker manager. Everything seemed such a mess and the club was lacking direction. Ron didn't seem to know what to do and people were calling for him to go.

It seems a world away from where we are today.

No. It was Dave Martin as assistant. I still have the cutting somewhere.

 

[number11]

I always thought it was Steve Walsh Stan was lining up to bring with him.

 

[number11]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/nov/17/newsstory.sport15

 

[mfurok]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/nov/17/newsstory.sport15

Great links.

Interestingly, aren’t Ron’s comments fifteen years ago all totally relevant to why he should never have pursued Larsson as manager in the first place unless there was more to it than just management?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/nov/17/newsstory.sport15

And Lee Sharpe!

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/nov/23/newsstory.sport3

And we were second from bottom of the third division.

It's uncanny.

 

[Napster]

I always thought it was Steve Walsh Stan was lining up to bring with him.

OK, it was, but Stan definitely mentioned Dave in his auotbiography

 

[wildheart]

I'm sure Stan threw his hat in the ring in 2000 also when he was at Bradford? He's been very quiet on the current situation.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

2003 also saw England win the rugby world cup on the morning of the Southend manager's first game in charge if Ron wants to hold on a few more days.