Wednesdayboy

The manager this story is based on is me exept for his age and experiences, all injuries and illnesses are true. Just thought you would like to know.

After another unsuccessful day of finding a team in england to manage that payed, I sat down and put on the Sky Sports News to find out about my favourite team Sheffield Wednesday.

I had spent all of my life in football and had still managed to play semi-professionally for my local teams even though I suffered from Pes Planus (flat feet), which harmed my game and caused pain while playing which eventually lead to my retirement at the young age of 27. I managed the youth team at Sheffield FC for a few years after my retirement but with little money coming in I was forced to give that up and get a full time job.

I told myself that the only reason that I wasn't playing football or was part of football anymore was because of my feet but the fact was I left because I gave up, so about 6 months ago I started looking for a job in football near to where I live, as a coach or manager but didn't find anything, so I widened my search but still nothing, I looked for jobs in France, Italy, Germany, Spain even Hong Kong but they didn't want a manager who had no real experience and could only speak english. So I was left with 2 options, Give up or keep looking.

And this is were you see me now, about to give up and sitting down on my settee watching Sky Sports News, taking a well earned rest from working at the Hospital when a picture comes up on the screen which grabs my attention, as a picture of a manager cheering comes on screen, the presenter speaks.

"Earlier today, Queens University Belfast Manager Jason Doherty died at the age of 57 during's his teams 3-2 victory over Armagh United. The win took QUB into the Nothern Irish Second Division for the first time in there history. Doherty suffered a heart attack in the 94th minute of the match and was rushed to hospital but was later pronouced dead. Doherty was loved by all after taking ove the club five years ago he has turned them from a Struggling junior club which were about to go out of buissness, to a Intermediate football club with a bright future. It looked as if he was going to make them great, famously saying that he would "Only leave if he was sacked or died, whichever comes first." A Memorial will be held on the 19th to anyone who wishes to pay there respects...

I was stunned, this man had build a team from nothing and his heart couldn't take it. I felt sorry for him and the club, its would take something special to get the players in the right frame of mind and to get them to play football which would keep them in the league, and there would be no manager in the world who would want to take over that club after the previous manager had died and the team were expected to finish bottom. AND THAT WAS WHEN IT HIT ME! I was desperate to get into football management and the club was looking for a manager, and best of all, I would be the only person desperate enough to want to take over the club. The team was small enough to want me to manage them but not small enough to want me to work for free, it was the perfect job. I got up, turned on my computer and started writing my CV...

WozzaWolves

Good story so far mate, hope you can get this as good as your last one!

KIU

Wednesdayboy

A week past before I got the call from the secratary of the Chairman, Denis Clarke. She told me that he wanted me to go to the Nando's restaurant in Sheffield for a secret meeting, he didn't want anyone to know about the talks, with it being only a week since the manager had died. We arranged a time and I put the phone down. I was in shock. This is what I always wanted but now I was having doubts, I knew that i wasn't going to get a hero's welcome when I arrived there and I would have to come up with the goods quickly if I was to keep this job and not become the most hated man in Northern Ireland.

It was the day of the meeting and I had taken the day off work, bought myself a nice suit and made my way to Nando's. I tried to imagine what he looked like, I saw an old, bald man, short and with a look of anger in his eyes, a man with high ambition but that wasn't the case. Instead I was met by a young man, not much older than me.

I introduced myself and then I asked him about how he came to own a club at such a young age. "Hard work, determination and a couple of million from my father." We both laughed and talked about our experiences, but he never once mentioned much about the club, he only seemed interested in my life, especially my footballing career. he told me that it was his dream to be a footballer but he never had the skill and it was something that his father couldn't buy him, but he found my story inspiring and that it was that which drew him towards me as a potential manager. He told me that he was looking for someone to pick the players up from the loss of Doherty and to take them forwards and that he thought I was that man. He said that he had booked me a hotel room for me to live in until I could afford my own place. "I will unveil you as the new manager within the next month and a press conference will be held. I expect you to leave your current accomidation by this friday and to be at the hotel by sunday." He stood up and put out his hand which I shook, thanking him for the chance to manage his club. He left and I was excited, I was going to move to Northern Ireland and manager a semi-professional club with a decent wage and a free hotel room until i'm up and running. 1 month from now, I would be manager of Queens University Belfast. I couldn't wait.

Wednesdayboy

I arrived in Belfast expecting to spend the night in a small BnB but Denis had arranged it fr me to stay at the univercity, he also told me that come september, I could start a course at the university and it had been my dream to become a doctor so I took up the opportunity and put my name down for a Physiopherapy course meaning I was going to stay in Belfast for 4 years weather I was going to manage there team or not. My roommate, Gaz, was a player for the university's Rugby team so I had alot to talk to him about as I also enjoyed rugby.



As the weeks past I got to know my way around the grounds and secretly watched how the players the chairmen had told me about handled themselves off the field. But when I wasn't hanging out with Gaz or spying on my team, I was at the graveyard, visiting Jason Doherty's grave. I looked down at his grave again, and read the tombstone. "Great Husband, Great Father, Great Coach, Great Man. Underneath was a joke written by a friend. "peileadóir níos measa ná Seán" which ment "A worse footballer than John."



It would be only 1 week till I was anounced as the new manager at a press conference and I couldn't wait.

Hartynips

Cracking stuff so far mate really enjoying this cant wait for the press conference

KUTGW