Random question

[CTFClad]

Who is Cheltenham longest serving manager?

[PaulGodfrey]

Tricky one because it can be answered three ways. Jimmy Brain was technically in charge for over 10 years, although this included World War Two when we played no matches between 1940 and 1945. He totalled around six years of active football.
Arch Anderson did eight years in charge but this was in two spells of four and a half and three and a half separated by a gap of nearly four years.
The longest continuous spell in charge was Bob Etheridge - April 1966 to June 1973.
In more recent years Steve Cotterill did fractionally over five years, John Ward just under four and Mark Yates is at three years and nearly six months.

[R_Payney]

Slightly off-topic, Mark Yates is now the 6th longest serving manager in England after Gus Poyet was sacked by Brighton today.
Only Arsene Wenger (Arsenal), Paul Tisdale (Exeter), Greg Abbott (Carlisle), Chris Wilder (Oxford) and Nigel Clough (Derby) have been in the job longer.

[Nesty]

http://ctfchistory.weebly.com/managers.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Hubert Parry]

It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Yates could become the longest serving manager before too long.

[hepple]

Surprised we played no football during the war my grandfather and his brother played in locally during the war have to say though not sure it was in a league may have just been friendlies against local army sides.

A random question that leads to so many other random yet connected questions such as

Who picked the teams before we appointed a manager?
Who has managed CTFC for the most/least games?
Who is the most successful CTFC manager (in terms of cups won)?
Who is the longest serving CTFC Chairman? - Paul Baker must be in with a shout having been in the job since about 1997
Who is the longest serving CTFC secretary? - Paul Godfrey must be in with a shout on this one

[leohoenig]

I can say that prior to having Managers with control over team selection, there would have been a selection committee. Some of the early managers may have had to work side by side with committees.

[Flux]

Surprised we played no football during the war my grandfather and his brother played in locally during the war have to say though not sure it was in a league may have just been friendlies against local army sides.

A random question that leads to so many other random yet connected questions such as

Who picked the teams before we appointed a manager?
Who has managed CTFC for the most/least games?
Who is the most successful CTFC manager (in terms of cups won)?
Who is the longest serving CTFC Chairman? - Paul Baker must be in with a shout having been in the job since about 1997
Who is the longest serving CTFC secretary? - Paul Godfrey must be in with a shout on this one

I believe that Cheltenham played a couple of friendlies against Army XI teams towards the end of the war. I recall being told by my grandfather that games were regularly played at the UCAL ground on Sundays not sure if Cheltenham played at the UCAL but they did play some friendlies at Whaddon Road.

The person who picked the teams before we appointed a manager would have been the selection committee. I havent yet researched who were on the committee much yet but it seems to have been a 3 man committee until the appointment of Jimmy Brain

[Fuller]

Wonder which Manager had the shortest spell ? (Not including interim managers like Bob Bloomer or John Schofield.)

I really enjoy these old facts and stories about our club - I do hope one day that a definitive history will be published, I'll be first in the queue to buy a copy. I think Paul Godfrey would produce one if he had more time on his hands, but as we know, he is a busy chap.

[PaulGodfrey]

The shortest would have been John Murphy's ill-fated return in November 1990 which lasted a grand total of 30 days. However, John had a successful five years in the 1980s so, again, you could argue that this doesn't count.

After that the next shortest is Tommy Cavanagh, who was sacked after 190 days in 1961. This was allegedly because female supporters including Lady Dowty complained about his language on the touchline (although I suspect there may have been more to it than that). Former Southampton legend Terry Paine (who played one game for England at the 1966 World Cup) lasted only 220 days and is now a respected TV pundit on SuperSport in South Africa. Others who managed for less than one year were Graham Allner, Ally Robertson, Willie Penman, Harold Fletcher and Bill Raeside.

Incidentally, I've been having a closed season tidy up in the office this week and when going through some old player files I came across the Jason Eaton transfer from Gloucester City. The fee was £15,000 and of this, £12,000 was paid upon registration in October 1992 with another £3,000 due at the end of the season. There is no note as to when this was settled but my recollection is that there was a bit of to-ing and fro-ing about whether it would be paid in cash or a player exchange and it got sorted out before the start of the next season with Paul Bloomfield joining City.

[Malabus]

I guessed it may have been John Murphy in 1990.

[Fuller]

The shortest would have been John Murphy's ill-fated return in November 1990 which lasted a grand total of 30 days. However, John had a successful five years in the 1980s so, again, you could argue that this doesn't count.

After that the next shortest is Tommy Cavanagh, who was sacked after 190 days in 1961. This was allegedly because female supporters including Lady Dowty complained about his language on the touchline (although I suspect there may have been more to it than that). Former Southampton legend Terry Paine (who played one game for England at the 1966 World Cup) lasted only 220 days and is now a respected TV pundit on SuperSport in South Africa. Others who managed for less than one year were Graham Allner, Ally Robertson, Willie Penman, Harold Fletcher and Bill Raeside.

Incidentally, I've been having a closed season tidy up in the office this week and when going through some old player files I came across the Jason Eaton transfer from Gloucester City. The fee was £15,000 and of this, £12,000 was paid upon registration in October 1992 with another £3,000 due at the end of the season. There is no note as to when this was settled but my recollection is that there was a bit of to-ing and fro-ing about whether it would be paid in cash or a player exchange and it got sorted out before the start of the next season with Paul Bloomfield joining City.

Also Bobby Gould didn't last a year. The Murphy incident was rather unsavoury I recall. And don't tell Gloucester we might still owe them £3k!

[PaulGodfrey]

Thankfully we don't, according to my notes Paul Bloomfield was transferred in a player exchange valued at £3,000. Bobby Gould was indeed less than a year - 270 days.

[Pie]

Another random question, but who was the last player to be given a long term contract, and by that I mean initially signed a 3 or 4 year contract, not signed 2 and then another 2.

[asl]

Towner had a 5-year deal, didn't he...?

[Fuller]

Another random question, but who was the last player to be given a long term contract, and by that I mean initially signed a 3 or 4 year contract, not signed 2 and then another 2.

Not sure about players but John Ward was on a five year contract if I recall.

[PaulGodfrey]

The longest player contract we've ever done is three years but we haven't done one of those for a while. Both Michael Townsend and John Finnigan had three year contracts but were forced to miss long spells through injury. Since then the most we have done is two and a half years.

[Pie]

Thanks Paul.

[Cheltenhamshire10]

The longest player contract we've ever done is three years but we haven't done one of those for a while. Both Michael Townsend and John Finnigan had three year contracts but were forced to miss long spells through injury. Since then the most we have done is two and a half years.

Interesting. Did those injuries make us choose to no longer hand out 3 year contracts? I'd give Brown, Sido, Penn, McGlashan 3 year contracts from our current lot.

[MarkHalliwell]

The bar the three year contracts is cost. The nature of the game these days means precarious finances see most clubs at our level give one or two year contracts.

[C.V]

Wasn't Lee Ridley on a long expensive contract cant remember who signed him but it was bad buisness

[Fuller]

Wasn't Lee Ridley on a long expensive contract cant remember who signed him but it was bad buisness

3 year deal if I recall, signed by John Ward. Alan Wright was signed soon after Lee joined and he was often out on loan after that.

[Robin]

Ridley was a terrible signing right from the start, good wages and long contract. The only time he actually looked decent was under Martin Allen ironically.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Ridley was a terrible signing right from the start, good wages and long contract. The only time he actually looked decent was under Martin Allen ironically.

Got the best out of a lot of players - just had too many of them and a couple of bad eggs.

[Sprout Picker]

Ridley was a terrible signing right from the start, good wages and long contract. The only time he actually looked decent was under Martin Allen ironically.

Got the best out of a lot of players - just had too many of them and a couple of bad eggs.

If he'd have 'got the best out of a lot of players' in the same way John Ward or Keith Downing did (with a few) we might have stayed up in League 1.