Published in the National League South game v Weymouth on Saturday 22nd October 2022. We lost 3-2 in front of 674.
With 600 games in 12 years
managing together – ten of them at Slough - it felt the right time
for Slough supporters to ask Jon and Neil some questions about best
players, going solo, and who’d be in their Rebel band at Wembley.
What
are your respective professions outside football?
Neil
: I
am a financial advisor by trade, but to be honest mainly deal with
mortgages and protection these days.
Jon
: I
have worked for a Global Manufacturing company 3M for 25 years now,
in various roles in that time but currently as a Key Account manager
working with customers across Europe.
How
hard has it been over the years to balance your work careers and
football commitments?
N
: Mine
has been pretty straight forward, it is quite a flexible role, so
never been governed by 9-5, so always work my diary around the
football, and as long as I have my phone I am able to work.
J
: 3M
have always been supportive of my football and for the most part I
have been able to manage my own diary so it's rarely been an issue. I
have probably missed 3 or 4 games due to work in my 10 seasons at
Slough which have been down to trips abroad which I just haven't been
able to miss.
Do
you always agree or have you had disagreements on a starting 11
N
: Yes we have disagreements, we are not the same person, however the
reason the partnership works so well, is one of us is always prepared
to step back on a decision, and every decision we talk through the
pros and cons and sometimes it can last a couple of days to get to
the right one. Neither of us has an ego so that helps. However I
would say 95% of the decisions we make we both agree on, and the
disagreements would usually be on a minor part of picking the team,
we have never disagreed about releasing a player/signing etc.
J
: On
the vast majority of occasions we tend to agree when it comes to team
selection but of course that isn't always the case. We reach our
decision on these occasions by talking it through (a lot!) sometimes
over a number of days until the one with the stronger opinion gets
his way! There is no ego or competition between us and we always
respect each other's opinion and have never fallen out over a
decision. The harder decisions are actually substitutions during the
game when you don't have the time to discuss over and over again as
time is against you, so a similar process has to happen but very
quickly.
Have
either of you ever considered going solo?
N
: We
have both been solo before we went into Godalming, for me I would
never want to do it solo, it works so well together, we both have our
strengths and weaknesses and combined I think makes a stronger unit.
J
: No
we are a double-act and will stay that way for a long time I think.
What
has changed the most in football in the years since you started
managing?
N
: Social
media.... its not a great place to be honest at the best of times,
especially in the aftermath of a defeat etc as a manager or player,
you can see some pretty awful things on there, which if you were in a
room together that person would never say to your face, it gives
everyone a platform to air their views, and sometimes this can be
damaging, and can affect players and managements mindset, it is very
easy to say not to read it, however even talking to some top managers
and top players it is almost impossible to not read it, and it is
often that one negative comment that sticks out the most and can
affect your working week.
J
: I
think social media and the role it plays is the biggest change
for me but I know Bakes has covered this in his answer so I will also
mention analysis and the availability of match footage. When we
started together at Godalming you might have seen the odd video of a
goal taken with a phone but now at this level we get to watch full
match footage of every game in our league which is mostly really good
quality. This enables you to study opposition tactics, individual
players and also review your own team's performance. Some clubs have
analysts in place to do this but this is something we like to do
ourselves and we also encourage our players to watch back our games
and learn from them.
Who’s
the most professional player you’ve worked with during that time?
N
: For
me it has to be Scott Davies, though Lee Togwell and Josh Jackman are
not far behind, however Scottie for the fact he takes his football so
seriously now, he absolutely loves the game, does everything right to
be in the best shape he can be, rarely is injured, turns up usually
an hour before every meet time, will be out watching games all the
time, will watch the opposition games as well as our own, and does
everything right from social media to treating everyone no matter who
they are and what role they have with the same level of respect.
J
: I
would certainly endorse Bakes' choices with Togs, Scott and Josh but
I think we have a very professional changing room in general right
now. Times have moved on from when we used to play and the vast
majority of players at this level eat right, prepare well and do
their own work outside of our training and matches to make sure they
are in peak condition. We do have a couple who like a few beers (I
wont mention names!) but even those lads are far more sensible now (I
think!) than they might have been a few years ago.
Out
of all the players you’ve managed, which one would you want to add
to our current squad to improve us.
N
: Well
asking me currently, we are obviously struggling in a forward
position with the injuries, so a fit Matty Stevens would be great.
J
: Definitely
either Matty Stevens, who was great for us, or Elijah Adebayo who has
ended up doing really well for himself at Luton as they would
certainly give us an additional attacking threat right now with the
injuries we have in that position.
If
you could pick any current player to play for Slough who would it be?
N
: Would have to Haaland on his current form, and absolute beast.
J
: A
few months ago I would have said Messi as in my view he's the best
there has ever been but with Haaland's form since coming to the
Premier League I am not sure you can pick anyone else.
Which
is the best ground in terms of welcome, facilities etc you have
visited as away managers?
N:
In
our league I would say that Dulwich are always very friendly, and
always look after us, and also their food after is often top drawer,
outside of that I always get a friendly welcome at my old club
Farnborough.
J
: Definitely
Dulwich. Nice people there behind the scenes, always a good
atmosphere but not hostile as a result of the type of fans they have
there now, plus really good food after the game and we have a good
record there on the pitch too.
What’s
the best Slough Town match you’ve managed
N
: For
me it has to be Gainsborough away for the all round performance, we
have had some good performances, but that one sticks out as almost
perfection that day.
J
: Agree
that Gainsborough was the best team performance, by a long way I have
to say, but others that stand out are the two playoff wins obviously,
both coming from behind, and the 5-4 comeback win at Merthyr wasn't
bad either!
Your
favourite Slough Town goal?
N
: Outside
of Jamie McClurgs or Manny Williams in play off games, or Dobbos at
Merthyr, I think for me one recently that sticks in my mind is Warren
Harris in the home league game against Bath when we had just
equalised and having not won in the first 5 league games. He scored
in the very last minute to win us the game and kick start the league
campaign which ended up in the play offs, had we not won that game it
might have put a lot of pressure on us as managers and as a team,
however it gave us and the team the belief to push on.
J
: For
me it has to be Manny's late winner in the playoff final at Kings
Lynn. It was such a big deal for us as managers to get to the
National League South, and to take the club to that next level, and
Manny's goal was the one that took us all there so will always be a
special memory for me.
Whats
the best 3 games for you that the fans were the best of the best?
N
: Welling
away when they made so much noise, I think we won the game with a
Robbo penalty, Woking away in the league when we won 1-0 they were
brilliant, and also away at York where they were top class.
J
: The
playoff at Kings Lynn was amazing in terms of the number that
travelled, the noise throughout the game and the celebrations at the
end. Sutton away in the FA Cup stands out as a game where I looked
behind the goal and it just felt like we were a proper big club with
the support we had that day. And for a different reason I'll pick out
the midweek 5-4 at Merthyr as those who made that journey that day,
an incredible effort on a Tuesday night, did the club proud and they
will always remember that one and be glad they went!
Slough
have been promoted and are in the National League. What do you
change?
N
Wow this a tough one, we would all have to change I guess with the
step up, that is effectively a professional league, and we would all
have to improve, I think it would be difficult to change to a full
time model in that first season, but eventually would be great to
have a full time team.
J
Where
do I start?! The league above is a huge step up now with some big
clubs coming down from the EFL and some massive budgets. Any club
that goes up from this league and stays there deserves huge credit
and it would take a massive effort on and off the pitch for us to do
that. Full-time players and staff would be needed definitely if we
were to do this over a sustained period of time.
What
would you both do if we got promoted and had to go full time?
N
: Would
not be a problem for me, I would still be able to combine my current
role with the full time football.
J
: I
would 100% want to do it. It's my dream to manage full-time and I
would jump at the opportunity.
There’s
a Slough Town FC band invited to play at Wembley. Bakes is on
keyboard, who else is in the band?
N
: I would need to be on keyboard and lead vocal, I would pull Paul
Hodges back in for lead guitair, would get Warren on the drums, and
Max Roscoe on the xylophone 😉 Unders would be nowhere near it.
J
: A few of our ex-players had some talent (Freddie, Hodgey, Dunny
and a few others) but not so sure about the current group so for me
I'd just go with Bakes sat with a piano singing Elton John songs all
night. What more do you need?!
