Harding stared up at the expanse of glass and steel, awed by the sheer scale of the RheinEnergieStadion. He was standing outside the Köln stadium with his agent, John Hutchinson, and was about to meet Wolfgang Overath to discuss the terms of his agreement. The previous day, Harding had accompanied Overath around the club’s training facilities and watched as his future assistant manager had run a training session.
A few minutes later, the group, now accompanied by Overath, were stood on the pitch by the centre circle, Harding locked in his own thoughts, watched in amusement by Overath. This was the first time since his injury that Harding had stood on a pitch inside a stadium, and he found it easy to imagine this stadium full of passionate supporters. St James’ Park had been a magnificent stadium to play in, if a little lop-sided, but Harding found the RheinEnergieStadion far more spectacular; its stands rose to the same height as the Milburn, yet enclosed the full perimeter of the ground.
Overath watched Harding study the ground and wondered what was passing through his mind. He looked at his watch briefly and then said, “Well, gentlemen, if we are finished out here, perhaps we may like to head to my office and discuss the terms of your new contract.”
Nodding, Harding followed Overath back down the tunnel and up to the club offices higher in the stand. Overath pushed open the door to a plush office overlooking the pitch and gestured for Hutchinson and Harding to sit down.
“Now then, you saw our training facilities yesterday morning, and in my opinion are some of the best in the league, and our stadium here was rebuilt only five years ago, and is in excellent condition. Our club undoubtedly has the right infrastructure for the Bundesliga, and I’d like to hope you will perform well enough for the remainder of this season so that we can offer you a far more permanent position.”
Harding nodded back at Overath. “Obviously I’d be delighted to become manager of such a big club, and I hope I’ll be able to fulfil all your ambitions Mr Overath.”
Hutchinson leaned forward at this point, cutting off Harding by clearing his throat. “Mr Overath, may I enquire further into the details of my client’s contract. We will obviously need to examine the conditions before making any decisions.”
Overath grinned at Harding. “Trust the money men, eh?” Hutchinson stared levelly back at Overath before the German picked up the document and handed to the Australian. “As you can see, we are prepared to offer you a rolling month-to-month contract until the end of the current season at a rate of £3,300 per week. You will, of course, have no funds to spend until we reassess your performance at the end of the season. Forgive me for sounding uncommitted, Harding, but you have a big act to follow – Daum was a legend at this club, and we need to ensure that the next manager is the correct choice.” He paused and smiled at Harding. “That said I’m sure we will be back here come mid-May to discuss a longer contract with you!”
Harding glanced quickly through the document, experienced eyes cleaving their way through the legal language and finding the real meaning. He passed the document over to Hutchinson, satisfied.
“Unfortunately, Harding, our star striker Patrik Helmes has already agreed a contract with Leverkusen and will transfer at the end of the season when his contract with us runs out, however I will ensure you receive the funds necessary to replace him.”
Hutchinson looked up and said, “The contract looks fine Dan. If you’re happy then by all means sign.”
Harding looked at Overath and smiled. “I’m delighted to sign as Köln’s new manager, and look forward to working with you Mr Overath.”
Overath stood and shook his hand after he had signed the contract and smiled again. “Excellent! Now I must insist on you calling me Wolfgang, as formalities tend to slow things down a little! I have arranged a press conference for this afternoon in expectation of you signing with us. If that suits you then perhaps we should find a spot of lunch before we feed you to the wolves!” He grinned and clapped Harding on the back as they walked out of his office.
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Harding stood next to Overath behind an open door, the dull roar of chatter from the gathered press hardly helping to calm his nerves. He’d sat through many press conferences before, but he’d never felt this apprehensive beforehand.
Overath turned and smiled reassuringly at him. “Don’t worry, Harding! This is the German press – not the vultures you were used to over in England. I’ll make sure it all goes smoothly for you! Ready?”
Harding swallowed hard and nodded, moving automatically after the German as he walked through the door. The chatter instantly stopped as Harding and Overath moved across the front of the room and sat down behind the myriad of microphones and tape recorders clustered on the table.
Overath quickly took the lead and started speaking clearly in german, gesturing towards Harding as he did so. After about a minute he paused and asked for questions and it was Harding’s turn to be put in the spotlight.
“Dan, Rudi Steiner from the
Rheinische Post. Why did you decide to take the Köln job?”
Harding was surprised that the question was in english, but had been expecting that question, so he replied comfortably, “Well Rudi, I’ve been out of football for a couple of years now, and as soon as Mr Overath made the offer to me I knew it was one I couldn’t refuse. Köln is a great club, and I wanted the challenge of following Mr Daum’s sterling record here.”
The reporter nodded his thanks and Overath motioned to another journalist.
“Hi Dan, Dieter Hechler from
Der Tagesspiegel. We all know your ability as a footballer, but what makes you feel that you can manage a club such as Köln?”
“That’s a fair question, Dieter. As most of you will know I have my UEFA Pro License, but I would be the first to say that experience counts for everything in this game. I have a supportive chairman, an excellent bunch of players and backroom staff, and I feel I have the capacity to learn quickly and keep Köln at the top of the table. All I can do is let me prove my ability in our next few matches.”
Harding noted the reporters scribbling on their pads and the cameras focussed in on him but he felt the question had been handled well.
Overath motioned to another reporter. “Dan, Jim Buckley from
Sky Sports. Will the language barrier prove a problem?”
“Well, Jim, as you know I played for Newcastle for nearly ten years. I reckon that if I can understand the Geordie accent, learning German should be a doddle!”
The assembled press laughed at that and Harding began to settle in. After around twenty minutes Overath brought the proceedings to a close and escorted Harding from the room.
“Well done, Dan. That went perfectly! Now I’ll let you return to your hotel and settle in to the job.”
Later that night Harding sat back to consider the whirlwind of the last two days. He had finally made it – he was a football manager....
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Cheers for reading guys. Hope you enjoyed it!
Dan
An Australian's Adventure 
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