Worst manager in GTFC history?

Russell Slade for me. The side he inherited wasn’t that bad with the likes of McKeown, Pearson, Dis, Osborne, and Sam Jones. The team he has put together is arguably worse than the one that took us down last time around. The fact that he destroyed what we had built for me makes him the worst manager in GTFC history.

Slade, he inherrited a good side that was missing a few pieces and instead flogged the good side and replaced the whole team with crap.

Slade

Slade for sure, Woods was already sadled with crap Slade has actually built this pack of cards side.

Even this current run is worse from a points perspective than the equivalent point of that 20 game streak in 09/10.

Lennie was nowhere near as bad as the rest down there.

Slade for me, but a close choice between him and Lyons

Woods was an untried inexperienced manager,

BUT

Slade was an experienced pro who had managed teams in leagues above us,

He let our best players leave and left us with an aging defence and 7 loan players although he thought we only had 6.

So Slade by a mile.

Wasn't around for Lyons. I have to say it's Newell for me by a country mile, the mess he left the club in was catastrophic. I've never seen such an unfit and unprofessional bunch of players.

I feel sorry for Neil Woods being on this list, it took him too long to turn it round, but he definitely improved us after Newell left. He was probably a little unlucky to get the sack when only 4 points off the playoffs in the conference. Another club legend tarnished by a failing board.

Unfortunately Slades legacy will linger for quite a long time. A complete Dodo in the football world. He was clueless, but still tried every conceivable way he could to shatter a reasonably decent squad when he took over. I wouldn't have been at all surprised if he had tried to get Scott Neilson and Andy Cook back here as fitness and mobility coaches.

Getting us to the play off final and knocking spurs out of the cup disqualifies Slade from this award, although the results of this season and the mess he's leaving the next manager will take some putting right

Waste of time. What is past is gone. Play fun games when we are safe.

What matters now is the next game and who is in charge for the 11 after that.

Quoted from headingly_mariner

I feel sorry for Neil Woods being on this list, it took him too long to turn it round, but he definitely improved us after Newell left. He was probably a little unlucky to get the sack when only 4 points off the playoffs in the conference. Another club legend tarnished by a failing board.

I agree with this, Neil inherrited a crap squad the year we went down and his first year in the conference wasn't bad, it just wasn't good but he lost out because he put alot of his money on Ademino scoring for fun.

Mike Lyons takes a lot of beating but Slade is by a streets the worst Manager in GTFC history.

Nicky Law

Picking one is too difficult.  I have three joint worst managers;

Slade for what he did on both visits
Groves for the double relagation and making jokes about it
Woods. Probably the worst of all. The FA cup defeat to bath was the lowest point ever. He didnt want the job, I remember thank goodness. He then extended his poor run and suddenly wanted the job. Should never of been manager, he made Laws and Lawrence look good

Lyons was a joke, but we were at a higher level then. Slade and Newell, given our resources in League 2 have built two of the worst squads i have ever seen. Tough choice but i reckon Newell edges it for me and is getting the benefit of it not being as fresh in the mind. It's hard to imagine now, but some of the performances under Newell were even worse than we are currently being dished up. Slade isn't far behind though.  

Anyone fancy doing a POLL on worst chairman    

Quoted from sonofmadeleymariner

I agree with this, Neil inherrited a crap squad the year we went down and his first year in the conference wasn't bad, it just wasn't good but he lost out because he put alot of his money on Ademino scoring for fun.

Makofo mistake might have played a part too.

Says a lot that 3 of the 5 worst managers in 130 years or whatever have been employed by Fenty who is comfortably the worst chairman in the history of the club.

Mike Newell. By a mile

Nicky Law

I think if you amend the options to “Slade Mk.2” then that would be fairer.

In my era it's close but Bobby Roberts was pretty poor, getting hammered at home every week, 4-0 down at half-time at home to Bristol City and subsequently getting us relegated.

Quoted from Grimbiggs

In my ear it's close but Bobby Roberts was pretty poor, getting hammered at home every week, 4-0 down at half-time at home to Bristol City and subsequently getting us relegated.

The thing with Bobby Roberts is that he took over the wreckage left by Mike Lyons and at the end of the season we were only one goal away from staying up.

Quoted from Mariner_501

Says a lot that 3 of the 5 worst managers in 130 years or whatever have been employed by Fenty who is comfortably the worst chairman in the history of the club.

Tbf I doubt there’s many people who have fond memories of the 1901/02 season.

Quoted from Mariner_501

Says a lot that 3 of the 5 worst managers in 130 years or whatever have been employed by Fenty who is comfortably the worst chairman in the history of the club.

I think he was better as chairman than he has been as non-chairman - though frankly, I can't remember when that was.

What is this poll for? It says the worst Manager in Towns history, then only goes back about 25 years. The club is about 140 years old ffs!

Quoted from Les Brechin

The thing with Bobby Roberts is that he took over the wreckage left by Mike Lyons and at the end of the season we were only one goal away from staying up.

We had enough capable players in that squad to do far better, Agnew, Jobling, McDermott, O'Riordan, Cunnington, Walsh, North to name a few off the top of my head, unfortunately, we had a few similar to today's squad, the McGarvey's and Curran's who were stealing a living!

Quoted from malkamalka

What is this poll for? It says the worst Manager in Towns history, then only goes back about 25 years. The club is about 140 years old ffs!

Thing is, I suspect the majority of fans on here are below the age of 60. That and I don’t know any town fans over the age of 100 who post on here. Just saying.

Just looking at the stats of Bobby Roberts first 8 league home games with Town:-

WON 2-0 Gillingham
LOST 0-1 Brentford
LOST 2-3 Mansfield
LOST 0-2 Walsall
LOST1-3 Southend
LOST 1-4 Bristol City
DRAW 1-1 Blackpool
LOST 0-1 Brighton.........pretty grim reading although we did beat Darlington in the league cup and Halifax in the Sherpa Van Trophy  

Quoted from Les Brechin

The thing with Bobby Roberts is that he took over the wreckage left by Mike Lyons and at the end of the season we were only one goal away from staying up.

But if memory serves me right he also missed the last game of the season to go on a coaching course. North missed a pen we went down. Or at least that’s how I remember it 🤔

Quoted from HertsGTFC

But if memory serves me right he also missed the last game of the season to go on a coaching course. North missed a pen we went down. Or at least that’s how I remember it 🤔

Yeah that's right, DRAW 1-1 with Aldershot, if we'd have won Aldershot would have gone down instead, however, we'd have missed all of those wonderful Buckley years.



19     Mansfield Town             46     14     12     20      48     59     (−11)     54
20     Aldershot                          46  15       8     23      64     74     ( −10)      53
21     Rotherham United (R)     46     12     16     18     50     66     (−16)     52
22     Grimsby Town (R)             46     12     14     20     48     58     (−10)     50
23     York City (R)                     46       8       9     29     48     91     (−43)     33
24     Doncaster Rovers (R)     46       8       9     29     40     84     (−44)     33

Doncaster Rovers and York City propped up the Third Division to suffer relegation after four seasons at this level, while debt-ridden Grimsby Town suffered a second successive relegation. Rotherham United went down in the playoffs. Newly promoted Aldershot narrowly survived their first season at this level for over a decade.

He didnt miss the last match - he missed some training days during the final weeks ofthe season to go on a coaching course. Had we stayed up it wouldnt have prevented the coming of Buckley - the board at the time took the decision they would dispense with Bobby Roberts regardless of the outcome when he chose to go on the aformentioned coaching course rather than train the squad.

Bizarre how i can remember odd little snippets like that from decades ago but can't hardly remember a thing about the Newell years...

I remember that north penalty (still a legend in my eyes) as I was ball boy next to the cons corner that day. There was old blokes behind that 'knew' he would miss it.....

Quoted from Grimbiggs

In my era it's close but Bobby Roberts was pretty poor, getting hammered at home every week, 4-0 down at half-time at home to Bristol City and subsequently getting us relegated.

Don McEvoy wasn't up to much but the worst has to be Neil Woods, took us out of the Football League than signed some crap and led us to our worst ever finish in our history.

Surprised Lennie Lawerence hasn’t received one vote,was he behind putting the Chinese guy on 13k a week my memory is fading

Why is Marcus Bignot not in the original poll?

Quoted from The Grim Reaper

Why is Marcus Bignot not in the original poll?

Good point, from the modern ones he is the one that started with the club in the best position. He didn't have to change much, but made a complete mess. Total donut.

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

I remember that north penalty (still a legend in my eyes) as I was ball boy next to the cons corner that day. There was old blokes behind that 'knew' he would miss it.....

Remember it well my daughter was mascot that day

The Aldershot fans were lucky to get away largely unscathed the Pontoon went beserk at the final whistle and only strong policing and a 10ft fence saved them.This being 12 Months after Hull had also relegated us at home the vast majority of fans just slinked away.

Quoted from toontown

Bizarre how i can remember odd little snippets like that from decades ago but can't hardly remember a thing about the Newell years...

Neither can Newell

Looks like Slade finally won something in his career 😉

I will go down red crosses for this but I reckon woods would have for us out of the conference if he was given the time Hurst had.  Hurst did nothing in first couple of years.

Hurst improved us every season. He did it slowly but part of the reason I always supported him continuing was that we kept getting closer year after year. Woods blew the parachute payment and we were going absolutely nowhere.

What about bobby Roberts wasn't he excrement?

Brought in Shaun Cunnington though so maybe that saves him. How much could we do with him at his peak now?

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

Brought in Shaun Cunnington though so maybe that saves him. How much could we do with him at his peak now?

Have we moved onto Buckley?

Bobby Roberts signed Cunnington I think.

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

Bobby Roberts signed Cunnington I think.

Did he? Always assumed it was Buckley. I've got a terrible memory.

Yeah, joined in the Feb of the D3 relegation season.

Quoted from Abdul19

Yeah, joined in the Feb of the D3 relegation season.

Cheers, didn't know that. Well, i did at the time, but obviously i associated a great player with a great manager and team.

Bobby Roberts signed Cunnington and Jobling definitely. Also Sherwood and North i believe.

Quoted from toontown

Bobby Roberts signed Cunnington and Jobling definitely. Also Sherwood and North i believe.

He left some good players for Buckley.