This weekend marks 1 year since Nashy & Woody took the reins at Scotswood, and it’s fair to say it’s been a rollercoaster since their appointment. A tough start initially, followed by an incredible end of season run, play off final disappointment, promotion delight and a brilliant start to life in Division 1, along with two complete squad overhauls.
Dan spoke to the gaffer about the last 365 days......
Firstly Marc, congratulations on reaching the 1-year milestone as manager of Newcastle Blue Star, for you what has been the high point of your tenure to date?
Thank you, I have to say when you see young players starting to flourish in a tough old league and see them grow, develop, and gain confidence to go and perform it must be that. On a single moment, I’d have to say the FA Cup replay at North Ferriby was a special evening for the club, staff, players, and fans.
With all managerial spells there will be both highs and lows, so with that in mind what has been the biggest challenge that you faced during the same period?
Probably some impatience from some areas. We have had to build two different squads in the space of 7 months and these things take time, there is no magic wand!! I’ve made mistakes with signings as every manager will vouch for but building a squad to be successful is a long process and I found the schedule this season so far very difficult so getting out and about to watch teams/players had been a challenge. Woody are and I spread quite thin, but we do our best.
The next thing must be the injury list. It has been horrific so far and there were a few games we played this season without any recognised centre backs, but we still managed to somehow get results which demonstrates a superb attitude from the players who filled in.
A lot can change in the space of a year, especially within the football world. Do you think the team has changed/evolved since taking the role? How much of a conscious decision is that in terms of playing style and personnel?
When I took over it was a case of bringing players in to make sure we had a team to field whilst still trying to maintain a challenge at the top. It wasn’t about implementing too much but rather just about getting results. Mid-season is a very difficult time to mould your ideal squad due to player availability. The promotion changed our recruitment at very short notice, so we felt we needed more experience to cope but the principles were the same in terms of being possession based. We need energy and we need experience, but most of the squad needs to have longevity, and I think we are in a decent place and getting close to achieving that.
Some say that Newcastle Blue Star's fanbase is somewhat unique for football at these levels, how have you found them to be and how important is their support to the club each week?
The support is the lifeblood of the club and the revenue it brings is crucial to the club’s sustainability and success. There’s a narrative in the public domain of the club having a massive budget and endless spending capacity but I can assure everyone that is not the case. The chairman wants the club on a solid footing where it becomes self-sufficient. The attendances have been great in comparison most clubs at our level, and it must be said, the level above.
The young generation of fans with their loud drums have added to the atmosphere and I think it’s great that they follow us and not the professional team in the city. They have a real buy in, and we want more of that as Newcastle United will affect attendances when we clash ko times. The club has had back-to-back promotions, brough the FA Cup to Scotswood and now sit in the play offs of NL1 so my message is to come out and back us, have a few beers and enjoy good football at a fantastic venue.
And finally, with one year behind you, what do you think the next 12 months look like for you at Blue Star?
As ever in football, the only constant is change so it’s hard to predict. My focus is on continuing to build a squad for the club and community to be proud of whilst maintaining our challenge to finish as high as possible. The Senior Cup is also something of interest and we will be all out to keep progressing. If we keep building momentum, then who knows? A league above or a trophy would be great but back to my first answer, these things can take time, so everyone needs to enjoy the journey and trying to enjoy it is key.
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