Post by jonw on Mar 25, 2020 21:35:40 GMT
To be a player-manager must be the most difficult role in football. They are a dying breed and when Jake Hutchings briefly took up such a role at Braintree, he became our first for over a decade.
Charlie Jones (pictured) was our first, taking over at the start of the 1935-36 season. The Welsh international had played a major part in three of Arsenal’s championship winning sides of the 1930’s and had played in the F.A. Cup Final just three years earlier. He had spent the 1934-35 season as player-manager at Division Two side Notts County, so it was a major coup for Iron to attract him from such a big club. He had not intended to play on a regular basis, having reached the age of 35, but did turn out on 10 occasions during that first season in the Eastern Counties League. He made his debut at home to Chelmsford in an F.A. Cup Extra Preliminary Round game, witnessed by 2,500. Iron won 2-0. Charlie had to play in this game in an ordinary pair of shoes with a few studs knocked in as his boots had not been returned by Notts County. He continued as manager until November 1941.
Evan Jenkins (Nov 49 – May 51) would not have considered himself to have been a player-manager. His best years were with Iron before the war, and for a while he managed Crittall Athletic (Silver End). He did however turn out for us in a league cup tie at Ruislip Manor in September 1950. The game was played on the ground now used by Wealdstone.
Tom Shallcross was a professional with Southend United either side of WWII, and later at Chelmsford City and Dartford. He joined us as player-manager at the start of 1951-52 and stayed for four seasons, playing 128 games and scoring 6 times.
Albert Wylds was Shallcross’s replacement, staying in the job for three seasons. He had first played for the first team in 1939, and appeared 24 times during his tenure. After a year out he was back for a further four year stint, although by that stage he was considered retired and limited himself to one emergency appearance in 1962-63.
Nigel Gardener was manager from the summer of 1966 until he resigned in November 1967. He had been a first team regular prior to taking over but preferred to watch from the sidelines and only started two more games, being pressed into action as a sub four times.
Former Glasgow Rangers and Chesterfield winger George Duncan arrived at Cressing Road in the twilight of his career, but turned out over 100 times during his stay between 1970 and 1975. He also scored 11 times.
We have recently covered the spell between January 1975 and May 1977 when we had successive young player-manager goalkeepers, namely Tony Armstrong and John McInally. Paul Devine followed them. He had played regularly while McInally had picked the side but preferred to watch on from the touchline and was seen on the pitch only 13 times in two years.
Frank Bishop had enjoyed a good career with Romford and Chelmsford City and had most recently been playing in the Mid Essex League with Braintree United when he came to the club. After impressing as reserve team manager he took over the first team and made occasional cameo appearances between January 1992 – October 1994.
Centre back Trevor Gunn took over for the back end of the 1998-99 season, restricting himself to only 6 starts to enable him to observe from the dugout. As a player he had been in the right place at the right time after the sacking of Tony Hall. The same could be said of Dean Parratt and Dave Culverhouse following the departure of Gary Bellamy. They continued to play throughout the 15 games that they were in charge for during 2003-04. After Parratt stepped down, but continued to play, Culverhouse soldiered on alone for nine more games. Injury prevented him from playing in any of those.
One common theme of the seasons where we have had a player-manager actively playing on the pitch week in and week out, is that we have historically achieved very little success during these spells. As I said…. the most difficult role in football!
Charlie Jones (pictured) was our first, taking over at the start of the 1935-36 season. The Welsh international had played a major part in three of Arsenal’s championship winning sides of the 1930’s and had played in the F.A. Cup Final just three years earlier. He had spent the 1934-35 season as player-manager at Division Two side Notts County, so it was a major coup for Iron to attract him from such a big club. He had not intended to play on a regular basis, having reached the age of 35, but did turn out on 10 occasions during that first season in the Eastern Counties League. He made his debut at home to Chelmsford in an F.A. Cup Extra Preliminary Round game, witnessed by 2,500. Iron won 2-0. Charlie had to play in this game in an ordinary pair of shoes with a few studs knocked in as his boots had not been returned by Notts County. He continued as manager until November 1941.
Evan Jenkins (Nov 49 – May 51) would not have considered himself to have been a player-manager. His best years were with Iron before the war, and for a while he managed Crittall Athletic (Silver End). He did however turn out for us in a league cup tie at Ruislip Manor in September 1950. The game was played on the ground now used by Wealdstone.
Tom Shallcross was a professional with Southend United either side of WWII, and later at Chelmsford City and Dartford. He joined us as player-manager at the start of 1951-52 and stayed for four seasons, playing 128 games and scoring 6 times.
Albert Wylds was Shallcross’s replacement, staying in the job for three seasons. He had first played for the first team in 1939, and appeared 24 times during his tenure. After a year out he was back for a further four year stint, although by that stage he was considered retired and limited himself to one emergency appearance in 1962-63.
Nigel Gardener was manager from the summer of 1966 until he resigned in November 1967. He had been a first team regular prior to taking over but preferred to watch from the sidelines and only started two more games, being pressed into action as a sub four times.
Former Glasgow Rangers and Chesterfield winger George Duncan arrived at Cressing Road in the twilight of his career, but turned out over 100 times during his stay between 1970 and 1975. He also scored 11 times.
We have recently covered the spell between January 1975 and May 1977 when we had successive young player-manager goalkeepers, namely Tony Armstrong and John McInally. Paul Devine followed them. He had played regularly while McInally had picked the side but preferred to watch on from the touchline and was seen on the pitch only 13 times in two years.
Frank Bishop had enjoyed a good career with Romford and Chelmsford City and had most recently been playing in the Mid Essex League with Braintree United when he came to the club. After impressing as reserve team manager he took over the first team and made occasional cameo appearances between January 1992 – October 1994.
Centre back Trevor Gunn took over for the back end of the 1998-99 season, restricting himself to only 6 starts to enable him to observe from the dugout. As a player he had been in the right place at the right time after the sacking of Tony Hall. The same could be said of Dean Parratt and Dave Culverhouse following the departure of Gary Bellamy. They continued to play throughout the 15 games that they were in charge for during 2003-04. After Parratt stepped down, but continued to play, Culverhouse soldiered on alone for nine more games. Injury prevented him from playing in any of those.
One common theme of the seasons where we have had a player-manager actively playing on the pitch week in and week out, is that we have historically achieved very little success during these spells. As I said…. the most difficult role in football!
