Dave Homewood
Team Coach/Manager
Didn’t have football levels in my day (Shankly, Clough, Ramsey, Revie) lol – but I did the L1 a few years back or I would have been prevented from managing. An adept coach at grassroots or international level, btw, does not necessarily make a good manager, and vice versa. Just look at England as an example where some superb coaches are absolute flops as managers.
Started in seventies as player-manager. Progressed the club from near extinction to win everything and move to new heights. Have managed virtually all age groups in various leagues and all pose different challenges. The rest, as they say, is history. The club needs people to replicate those halcyon days which were achieved not just by myself but by the likes of Kevin Godden, Dave Smith, Clive Cook, Dave Andrews, Steve Mailey and several more. All quality managers that achieved at senior/county level. The litmus test of any large club is the status of its senior sides. If people do not grasp that, they do not fully understand the DNA of BGFC.
To give players a sense of belonging to a club and not just an isolated team, so that when they move on from me they are psychologically prepared; enjoy and learn; to instil the belief that football is a team game and grow to respect each other. For lots of children, this sense of being part of a family is far more important perhaps than many realise. I also look after the U7/8 Development Squad where the latter point is so evident.
A sense of purpose and obviously win where we can. But mainly to feel sufficiently confident to progress to the next age group. Many years in the education sector taught me that people gain a more holistic appreciation of life [sport] if they have input from a variety of tutors – and the same applies in football. None of us know everything and our old two-year rule brought unprecedented success. But I accept, parents want to coach their own children.
This team current does not play in any leagues, and is set up to allow players to develop and grow in skill and confidence before they play in a league team.
