John Ward

Talk about anything to do with Cheltenham Town, CTFC 500 Club, League 1, ex players & Managers

Moderators: Admin, Ralph, asl, Robin

Jon Palmer
Posts: 5045
Joined: 13 Feb 2010, 20:19
Video interviews here, looking back on his time at Cheltenham: http://bit.ly/JohnWardCheltenham" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
horlickfanclub
Posts: 3907
Joined: 04 Aug 2011, 11:02
Why? look forward for goodness sake. Next week it will be all about Steve . zzzzzzzzzzz
Ralph
Posts: 4830
Joined: 23 Dec 2009, 01:56
horlickfanclub wrote:Why? look forward for goodness sake. Next week it will be all about Steve . zzzzzzzzzzz
if your bored then dont bother posting in a thread that you have no interest in. Some of us might like to watch the video of one of our best mgrs
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
Posts: 29758
Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
Great memories there, cheers JP.

A key thing for me is stability of players as it's pertinent now. Makes me think maybe mid-table this season to develop the young players and get the new signings working well before kicking on next season. This is what Wardy said:

“I was a little impatient after finishing mid-table again, but that season stabilised a rocky ship and allowed us to bring young players on. We’d had a big turnover of players and then it all became about being stable and giving boys a chance to progress, which they did and that season was perhaps key to the success we went on to have.

The summer of 2005 saw only utility man Craig Armstrong added to the squad, but the transformation in fortunes was remarkable as Cheltenham enjoyed a memorable run to the fourth round of the FA Cup and secured promotion for the second time in their Football League history.

“I told the boys there would be no more big changes and challenged them to push on and make a name for themselves...I also told them that if they didn’t they could easily fall by the wayside, but if they did well the chances were they could go on to play higher, which a lot of them did.The challenge was taken up by a lot of them and they improved together. The keys were stability, trust and the work ethic.”


Also surprising is how Wardy was met/interviewed at the University of Gloucestershire, and then Keith Downing at the Civil Service Club. Anyone know whether we still do things like this - or do we use Whaddon Road or Seasons now? An example of how we have in the past relied on other facilities because ours are not good enough...
CheltRobin
Posts: 1995
Joined: 10 Sep 2013, 15:36
Wardy was a great Chelt manager, just behind Cotts for me. If he hadn't left for PV, then I think he could've built another squad to take us back into mid table in L1 and maybe had a season in the Championship.

The challenge is on for Yates's new squad to try and emulate what Wardy's squad did.
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
Posts: 29758
Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
CheltRobin wrote:Wardy was a great Chelt manager, just behind Cotts for me. If he hadn't left for PV, then I think he could've built another squad to take us back into mid table in L1 and maybe had a season in the Championship.

The challenge is on for Yates's new squad to try and emulate what Wardy's squad did.
I would have loved to have seen what Cotts could have done in L1.

As it stands Wardy is the man who achieved our highest ever finish, and it will be a real triumph for any manager that beats it.
CheltRobin
Posts: 1995
Joined: 10 Sep 2013, 15:36
Reckon Cotts could've also taken us upto the Championship. I expect Bristol City to be at least in the play-offs come May.
Robin
Posts: 15948
Joined: 20 Nov 2009, 11:19
With the squad and finances at the time SC would not have taken us up and I think he knew that. Now had we had Simon Keswick on board and some of the instracture we do now it may have been a different story.
ghandi
Posts: 208
Joined: 03 Sep 2013, 11:43
It would have been a good bet that Cotts would have taken us into L1 with the squads of players that yatesy has had over the last few seasons.As for the this season,i've no expectations at all.I notice paul bakers keeping quiet as well.I'll be happy with a few decent home performances,we live in hope!
Robin
Posts: 15948
Joined: 20 Nov 2009, 11:19
I agree there Cotts is far superior to Yates but it did take Allner coming on board for us to play an attractive style of football to be fair.
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