Preece leaves St George's Lane

[StopfordianWCFC]

I will admit that I was one of the pro-Preece fans who were delighted when the man took over three years ago. I felt he would have the experience and the contacts to produce the goods.

I think I was right on one of those two issues. He did have the contacts and he has brought in some quality players - unlike Barton, they were not all from Burton Albion and I still maintain that the backbone of this squad is excellent. Unfortunately, after watching three years of this 'management' I feel that Preecy never had the tactics or the nouse. Too often he would resort to near apopleptic rants at officials, linesman, the world, opposition fans, etc and not concentrate on the game. Myself and Leeds witnessed an extraordinary conversation at Hyde last year which left me with a great deal of concern as to Preece's credentials as a coach and motivator.

That said, good luck to the guy. If he can move on to other things, I am sure he takes with him our best wishes. Its now time for the club to re-focus and make further forward steps and get someone in to whip this team into the shape and potential that we all know that they posses.

[salmon]

Candidates?, a mate of mine knows shaun Cunnington,he told him he would fancy the job months ago if preecey left.

[tim]

And Shaun Cunnington's managerial CV runs to how many pages?

What the club needs now to take us all forward is someone with a track record at this level, someone who has the contacts in the Birmingham/West Midlands area. a hotbed of football that is near enough to Worcester for home games and en route to both the north for CN matches and the M42/M40 for CS games. Appointing someone with a good playing career in the league but no real managerial experience behind them isn't the answer, this isn't the professional game, WCFC is in no position to go full time.

Two people immediately spring to mind, both established managers with a wealth of contacts. Morell Maison would be an excellent choice were he interested and available, and I think Rod Brown would also be a contender. Phil Mason has been steadily establishing himself as a manager a couple of levels down, may be too big a step too soon though.

Whoever gets the job, it's probably as poisoned a chalice as the England job, we want 5-0 wins every week and with style

[suv]

feel free to delete this as it's a rumour (though from a reliable source).

Anyone else heard this

Andy Preece & Graham Ward nose to nose in the Changing Room after Hucknall.
needed to be seperated?

[tim]

wouldn't that be nose to collar bone? bit of a height difference!

[andy]

After the recent announcements, every wannabe manager and his dog is going to be sniffing around Worcester City. The Board has to be very astute and capable of differentiating bluff from quality.

[darrellbutler]

tim said:

And Shaun Cunnington's managerial CV runs to how many pages?

What the club needs now to take us all forward is someone with a track record at this level, someone who has the contacts in the Birmingham/West Midlands area. a hotbed of football that is near enough to Worcester for home games and en route to both the north for CN matches and the M42/M40 for CS games. Appointing someone with a good playing career in the league but no real managerial experience behind them isn't the answer, this isn't the professional game, WCFC is in no position to go full time.

Two people immediately spring to mind, both established managers with a wealth of contacts. Morell Maison would be an excellent choice were he interested and available, and I think Rod Brown would also be a contender. Phil Mason has been steadily establishing himself as a manager a couple of levels down, may be too big a step too soon though.

Whoever gets the job, it's probably as poisoned a chalice as the England job, we want 5-0 wins every week and with style

TJ talks sense.

Roger Ashby took Nunny to two play off finishes and they hardly have a better team than us in terms of individuals, he could also give Acton a shout so we can abuse him every week. I don't know what Kevin Wilson did wrong at Hucknall either.

[Tim Munslow]

"Andy Preece & Graham Ward nose to nose in the Changing Room after Hucknall. needed to be seperated?"

I heard exactly the same story, plus the fact that there was a scrap between Wardy and Smudger which had to be broken up.

I am sorry that he as gone at this particular juncture, but the one thing I won't miss (unless his successor is like minded) is the continual raving at officials; bad refereeing evens itself out over the course of a season. We suffer no worse than anyone else. IMHO we should keep quiet about officials, like they do in rugby.

[andy]

Smudger - presumably talking on behalf of all the players(?) - in tomorrow's WN.

[Deleted]

Not surprised at this announcement. Preecey could have and should have been a superb and successful manager for WCFC. He started off looking the part and sounding the part, but was really just all sizzle and no sausage. His touchline rants at anyone in earshot were embarassing and amateur, his inability to change things was borne out of arrogance, he couldn't accept that he could possibly get things wrong, hence his insistence on playing 5 at the back with no midfield, his obsession with players based north of Birmingham, and it appears his insistence on not operating with help from either an assistant manager, or a wise old head in the background.

Such a shame because he had all the makings of an excellent non-league manager, and off the field he came across oozing with class (such a shame that on matchdays all he oozed was anger!) Maybe he was out of his confort zone - South by about 150 miles.

For the benefit of the moderators/administrators - I'm logging in on a fake ip only because I'm still banned at home, at work, and on vpn - and on 3G card as well!! (I've been told I was only banned for a week - two weeks ago!!, how magnanimous-not!) I can't use my name as its banned, can't use my old and well known alias as it was banned as soon as this board was set up, marvelous. So if anyone is unsure why I use a pseudonym, I have no choice. Although I'll probably be mysteriously deleted yet again anyway.

[colinlayland]

Welcome back Jem.

[darrellbutler]

jcp said:

I can't use my name as its banned, can't use my old and well known alias as it was banned as soon as this board was set up, marvelous. .

At your own request.


This is a thread about the sacking/ walking out/ departure of Andy Preece, not about you.

[Deleted]

No, but unless I'd put that last bit, I seriously doubt that my post would have stayed on here once one of the three stooges had done their "investigation".

Not sure why the name "jem" should be a banned name but it is.

Of course its not about me, I don't think I said it was, and you could have always PM'd me Darrell

[wakefield]

Oh 4 foxes sake - grow up...

I suppose because there is no link to a youtube mobile phone video I'll be banned now?

The thread is about whereever its contributors move it...so I guess we'll all be moved into another 'topic box'

Anyway take a butchers at other club forums - may wise you up a bit...

[Deleted]

colinlayland said:

Welcome back Jem.

I'm not, I'm still banned, but this is an important subject so I've broken the law!!!

I can't say I'm all that sorry to see Preecey go, but I agree with both Tim and Manc, he let himself down on matchday too often and this must surely have rubbed off on his players, and talk of fights in changing rooms between players suggests a lot of anger.
My tip for Preecey would be to ditch the tracksuit in favour of a suit and sit down in the dugout instead of prowling like a rabid dog down the touchline. Wear a pair of glasses maybe, it worked for Sven and Laurie Sanchez!!

[Deleted]

Talking of Laurie Sanchez - has anyone else noticed how, with his glasses on, he looks remarkably like Ronnie Kray.

Of course there's nothing wrong with that. Ronnie was a lovely bloke. Honest.

P.S. welcome back thingy.

[Deleted]

Everyone says Ronnie and Reggie were lovely blokes, I suppose the alternative would be.......

Oh well Hat in the ring for manager - Mad Frankie Fraser, or is he dead? does it matter?

[wakefield]

At the Boston game me and the Blonde were sat just above the City Bench.

Now, as we were surrounded by about 100 or so Boston, I (very unusually kept quiet).

However, AP was mouthing off to everyone. Including the home support...

Blonde is a football tactician, she knows the game inside out - trust me.

She would not be convinced that AP was a 'Manager', even though she knew he was our Gaffer. I guess that's the difference. Manager as opposed to Gaffer.

Fighting in the changing rooms at Hucknall? well that is a certain road to ruin.

The thought of 'Promised so much - but delivered so little' sadly creeps into my mind.

[alwaysnextyear]

I said after Tuesday night's result that the excuses had run out and that it was time for the Board to take decisive action. They must read my postings !
Andy Preece had taken the Club as far as he could, and his tactical naivity has been apparent since Andy Morrison left. He tried his best.
As for the future ? I wouldn't be surprised to see a more West Midlands based manager with signings from the same area. No one has been more critical than me about this obsession with signing northern based players and the dreadful discipline. I suspect that this will not be the case in the future.

[voiceofreason]

Very sorry as an old school pal & ex-team mate of mine(Peopleton FC!!!!);some of the comments on here are unwarranted, including one 'know-it-all' who's just resurfaced to snipe at AP. When he'd be completely clueless in the same situation!

Good luck anyway, AP/Preecey;Hope you prove WCFC wrong!

And good luckto WCFC in appointing a decent new boss in picking up, as TJ described, possibly the biggest 'poisoned chalice', below The Conference!

More mediocrity beckons........

[bobbyg]

Would a new manager be promised extra funds in the short term based on the fact that the bank understands a sale of the ground is imminent? In other words, a loan extention in the new year to buy new players?

[Deleted]

voiceofreason said:

Very sorry as an old school pal & ex-team mate of mine(Peopleton FC!!!!);some of the comments on here are unwarranted, including one 'know-it-all' who's just resurfaced to snipe at AP. When he'd be completely clueless in the same situation!

Good luck anyway, AP/Preecey;Hope you prove WCFC wrong!

And good luckto WCFC in appointing a decent new boss in picking up, as TJ described, possibly the biggest 'poisoned chalice', below The Conference!

More mediocrity beckons........

Oh give over, leave the personal friendship side out of this, and can you honestly say that this has come as a surprise? I played against Preecey is his youth days, and he was good, I 've spoken to him on occasions and he's a very articulate, very nice bloke. I've listened to him in interviews and he appears to have what it takes. But matchday it all goes pearshaped. I'm not sniping at him, I'm telling it as I see it, and so does Wakey, and the blonde, and many many others, read what Tim Munslow says too.
Most people including me, and probably the Board, are very sorry to see him go, but it hasn't worked out. Andy Bullock talks of an unbalanced side, and he's right, and its been that way for some time now. Everyone reckons we've got decent players but can't put it together.
I'm not a know-it-all, I just have an opinion, and no I wouldn't be clueless in the same situation, because I wouldn't ever put myself in the same situation.
I'm an Andy Preece fan VOR, thats what makes it all the more frustrating.

[Deleted]

bobbyg said:

Would a new manager be promised extra funds in the short term based on the fact that the bank understands a sale of the ground is imminent? In other words, a loan extention in the new year to buy new players?

I'd say highly unlikely, the ground move is far from imminent, and the bank arrangements are already based upon a more realistic valuation of the ground, so they're already doing their bit.

[Deleted]

I vote for the Blonde as manager with Wakey as assistant. A female manager. Why not?

[prestonwcfc]

Really disappointed with this announcement.

I believe it is the players not the managemnet that have produced the recent inconsistancy

AP thanks for all your hard work and all the best for the future

[theoffy]

Totally agree with the surprise but it is the usual way, the sword falls on the manager. Did like Smudgers words in the news today that he feels the players must take some responsibility, but I hope this does not cause more stability worries.

I hope we do get the right man (or pair i.e assistant as well) to do the job.

AP i know we gave you stick but we do know the job you faced was not easy.

[Deleted]

Cloughie always said the buck stopped at the Chairman.

I don't think Preecey got much stick, certainly not as much as Barty did. And in the time he was at the club I can't remember anyone really wanting him out. But a lot of people did get frustrated at tactics etc. but believed enough in Preecey to get us out of this league.

I wouldn't be surprised if the constant 300 mile round trips had an effect.

[theoffy]

Yes, I know we did not give him too much stick but we were certainly frustrated at some of his tactic selections.

The trouble with the buck stopping at the chairman, in our case is if you lose the man at the top, a club our size will fold and disappear, even with the new ground around the corner.

The 300 mile round trip can be lived with, he was not playing remember, it was the lack of contact with his team, who themselves have real jobs and lived just as far a field.

There was time when turning up to travel away from SGL, that the team bus would leave with only 3 or 4 team members on it. I am a firm believer that build up to a game is important and everyone turning up seperately 'not bonding' can not help.

I do believe that the 'not professional' team does not help but there has not been a lot of difference between the professionals and us this season so far.

[ctod1959]

Re: AP squaring up to Graham Ward : glad our former boss could locate GW in dressing room; he was invisible on the pitch. It was only after 70 minutes watching that I realised he was playing!

[Deleted]

voiceofreason said:

Very sorry as an old school pal & ex-team mate of mine(Peopleton FC!!!!);some of the comments on here are unwarranted, including one 'know-it-all' who's just resurfaced to snipe at AP. When he'd be completely clueless in the same situation!

Good luck anyway, AP/Preecey;Hope you prove WCFC wrong!

And good luckto WCFC in appointing a decent new boss in picking up, as TJ described, possibly the biggest 'poisoned chalice', below The Conference!

More mediocrity beckons........

Poisoned Chalice? Where does this guff come from? We've only had 4 managers in the last 15 years, Barty did 6 years and Preecey is in his 3rd season. As managers jobs go, its one of the more secure, with a Board well prepared to give the manager all the rope he needs.
I'm sure most managers at out level would love the opportunity to manage at a club like City, with big support, a decent big ground and big plans for the future.