I arrived at the ground, to see thousands of fans laying down flowers for Tony and his family. I chained my bike up to a post and ran inside, kitted out in the training gear I received the previous night. I had been called into the club instantly, following the news of the train crash that caused the death of my new manager to be, Tony Mowbray.



I walked inside, signed in at reception with my card, which I had also received the previous night, and jogged up the stairs to the player’s lounge, taking them two at a time. All the players were sat down, and Chairman Jeremy Pearce, was sat down at the front, along with the Managing Director Jonathan Fuller, and the Director Of Football, Simon Hunt.

Mr. Pearce said some words about Tony and the tragic incident, and paid his respects to him. I could see that a lot of the other players were struck hard by the incident, as well as all of the training staff. Mr. Pearce went on to talk about the funeral, which was to be held for both Mowbray and McCarthy, and was to take place on Sunday 8th July at Glen Iris Baptist Church. A few of the players stood up and said some words for Tony too, and we held a minutes silence to think about Tony, McCarthy, and all the others that died in the horror incident. Mr. Pearce then moved on to explain the next piece of news.

“Obviously we are going to need a replacement for Tony, but unfortunately due to a clause in our contract with him, we cannot replace him with a manager from outside the club until the end of the season. Therefore, we will need one of you to take on the role of Player Manager, until the end of the season, unless you prove yourself worthy. Rather than forcing one of you to comply, I will ask for volunteers, but I need someone with a good level of coaching experience. Do I have any volunteers?”

There was a level of discussion going on around the players, and I could see that none of them were going to volunteer. I knew that it would be taking a complete risk, and it was a bold move, but since I had all my coaching badges I decided to give it a go. Mr. Pearce looked at me and said “Now isn’t the time Tom,” in a stern voice. I explained to him that I had my coaching badges and that I wouldn’t be doing this if there were other volunteers. I told him that I only want what’s best for the club. I could hear sniggers from the other players and my nerves were shaking once more. After a couple of minutes silence, he spoke. “Alright then, we’ll give it a go. It’s gonna be tough but we’ll have to give it a go.”

I was astounded. I shook his hand and he dismissed us. I made my way to the car park, still in disbelief over what had just happened. I was unsure whether this was a good thing, or a terrible thing. I was worried my position at the club was in jeopardy, should the managing career not work out. I slowly got on my bike and prepared to embark on the new chapter in my life.