Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2009 19:59:21 GMT
Mention Eddie May’s name to relatively new Torquay United supporters and you may be greeted with a response of “Eddie Who?”. Drop his name into conversation with older lags and you could easily discover they’ve done their best to airbrush him from history.
Eddie May’s six months or so at Plainmoor – from November 1995 to May 1996 - was not a happy time and looking back, to the sheer bloody awfulness of that period, I actually struggle to remember much about the man at all. The whole affair, to me, resembles a grubby little footnote in our history.
The background is that Don O’Riordan had left after that 8-1 home defeat against Scunthorpe, a dozen or so games into the 1995/96 season. As my memory is becoming rather blurred with the succession list of Torquay United managers, I’m grateful to the centenary history for reminding me this was when Mick Buxton arrived on the scene as caretaker-manager. Buxton had been around the blocks a few times and had enjoyed success as manager of Huddersfield and Scunthorpe until, most recently, becoming less successful at Sunderland. As I believe he was keen on taking over at Plainmoor on a permanent basis, it would be interesting to hear if anyone has a recall of why this didn’t happen. My memory is of a good manager who got away….
So, instead – whatever the circumstances – the job went to Eddie May. May was an Essex boy who played for Dagenham before having a long –and useful – Football League career as a centre-half for Southend, Wrexham and Swansea. He then coached at clubs such as Leicester and Charlton, worked abroad and managed the declining Newport County before taking over at Cardiff City in the early 1990s. Cardiff were an utter shambles at the time, but May got them out of the fourth tier and was very popular at Ninian Park before things went off the boil. Although he wasn’t working at the time he came to us, I was impressed by May’s appointment and saw it as renewed ambition on Mike Bateson’s behalf. However – as is sometimes the case after initial success - Eddie May never really delivered again as a manager at Torquay, Brentford or anywhere else. What had happened at Cardiff? Was there a flaw? Or did his luck run out?
After seven consecutive defeats, it can’t be said Eddie May joined Torquay United on the crest of a wave. Nor – and this is the ghastly key point – did things get much better: thirty league games as manager; three wins; fourteen goals (bugger, I knew it was bad but not that horrible). The outcome? We finished bottom of the table with just twenty-nine points (leaving us eleven points adrift when – quite honestly – in another season we could have been almost twenty points short).
Hopefully, as with Kevin Hodges, others will have plenty to add. Meanwhile I’ll weigh in with a few observations and memories.
Firstly, Jon’s poser - as to what might have happened if Don O’Riordan had been given as much money to spend as Eddie May – awakened me to just how much was put at May’s disposal. Consider his signings: Paul Ramsey (immediately) and Alex Watson (very quickly) followed by the January acquisitions of Ray Newland, Paul Baker and Charlie Oatway. Then, throw in the loan signings of Simon Garner, Paul Williams and – if you insist – Aiden Newhouse and Riffi Haddaoui. Some good signings, a few desperate ones and – even allowing for relatively sizeable fees for Watson and Baker alone – it must have all been pretty costly (and probably what most of us were demanding). I wonder also if a few agents of Eddie’s acquaintance didn’t enjoy themselves at MB’s expense? Back in those pre-internet days I was developing a 0898 Clubcall addiction and recall hearing an interview with the agent of Williams and Haddaoui – a real wide boy character direct from central casting – “bigging” up his boys. That really made me contemplate how certain football managers do their business….
And, in the process, perhaps there are bigger questions. Did the whole experience sour Mike Bateson’s view of football managers and the business of bankrolling playing activities?
Secondly, the Stevenage saga. History records we weren’t relegated that season because Stevenage’s ground wasn’t up to scratch. My memory is that – even though Stevenage went to the High Court – Mike Bateson was always confident we’d be okay and, consequently, the business of finishing bottom was neither here nor there. Did we simply play out the season after a particular stage? Was it then easy to draw a line under the sorry business, assuming Eddie May was only ever on a short term-contract?
Whilst we’re on the topic, can anyone share any insights into the conduct of Victor Green, the Stevenage chairman, and his efforts to reach an “agreement” (of a dubious nature) with Mike Bateson? Furthermore was the rumour true about Barry Hayles (who scored twenty-nine league goals for Stevenage that year) finishing runner-up to Charlie Oatway in our player of the year award?
Thirdly – a random one - but who else saw that appalling 5-0 defeat at Lincoln which finished our season? I’m at a loss to think of another time when a group of football supporters was so much out-of-love with a football club and the players which made up the team (well, since the Webb days, that is….). It was such an alarmingly depressing day that you had to try to enjoy it to remain sane and calm. The booing of Richard Hancox (simultaneously from both sets of supporters) still echoes around my head…..
Oh yes, finally, an Eddie May reminiscence. Two or three years later he was offered the job to coach Pakistan. Radio Five carried an interview with him when he joked about his plans to open a corner shop and how his mates had started calling him Eddie Singh. A certain lack of cultural awareness I fear…
Eddie May’s six months or so at Plainmoor – from November 1995 to May 1996 - was not a happy time and looking back, to the sheer bloody awfulness of that period, I actually struggle to remember much about the man at all. The whole affair, to me, resembles a grubby little footnote in our history.
The background is that Don O’Riordan had left after that 8-1 home defeat against Scunthorpe, a dozen or so games into the 1995/96 season. As my memory is becoming rather blurred with the succession list of Torquay United managers, I’m grateful to the centenary history for reminding me this was when Mick Buxton arrived on the scene as caretaker-manager. Buxton had been around the blocks a few times and had enjoyed success as manager of Huddersfield and Scunthorpe until, most recently, becoming less successful at Sunderland. As I believe he was keen on taking over at Plainmoor on a permanent basis, it would be interesting to hear if anyone has a recall of why this didn’t happen. My memory is of a good manager who got away….
So, instead – whatever the circumstances – the job went to Eddie May. May was an Essex boy who played for Dagenham before having a long –and useful – Football League career as a centre-half for Southend, Wrexham and Swansea. He then coached at clubs such as Leicester and Charlton, worked abroad and managed the declining Newport County before taking over at Cardiff City in the early 1990s. Cardiff were an utter shambles at the time, but May got them out of the fourth tier and was very popular at Ninian Park before things went off the boil. Although he wasn’t working at the time he came to us, I was impressed by May’s appointment and saw it as renewed ambition on Mike Bateson’s behalf. However – as is sometimes the case after initial success - Eddie May never really delivered again as a manager at Torquay, Brentford or anywhere else. What had happened at Cardiff? Was there a flaw? Or did his luck run out?
After seven consecutive defeats, it can’t be said Eddie May joined Torquay United on the crest of a wave. Nor – and this is the ghastly key point – did things get much better: thirty league games as manager; three wins; fourteen goals (bugger, I knew it was bad but not that horrible). The outcome? We finished bottom of the table with just twenty-nine points (leaving us eleven points adrift when – quite honestly – in another season we could have been almost twenty points short).
Hopefully, as with Kevin Hodges, others will have plenty to add. Meanwhile I’ll weigh in with a few observations and memories.
Firstly, Jon’s poser - as to what might have happened if Don O’Riordan had been given as much money to spend as Eddie May – awakened me to just how much was put at May’s disposal. Consider his signings: Paul Ramsey (immediately) and Alex Watson (very quickly) followed by the January acquisitions of Ray Newland, Paul Baker and Charlie Oatway. Then, throw in the loan signings of Simon Garner, Paul Williams and – if you insist – Aiden Newhouse and Riffi Haddaoui. Some good signings, a few desperate ones and – even allowing for relatively sizeable fees for Watson and Baker alone – it must have all been pretty costly (and probably what most of us were demanding). I wonder also if a few agents of Eddie’s acquaintance didn’t enjoy themselves at MB’s expense? Back in those pre-internet days I was developing a 0898 Clubcall addiction and recall hearing an interview with the agent of Williams and Haddaoui – a real wide boy character direct from central casting – “bigging” up his boys. That really made me contemplate how certain football managers do their business….
And, in the process, perhaps there are bigger questions. Did the whole experience sour Mike Bateson’s view of football managers and the business of bankrolling playing activities?
Secondly, the Stevenage saga. History records we weren’t relegated that season because Stevenage’s ground wasn’t up to scratch. My memory is that – even though Stevenage went to the High Court – Mike Bateson was always confident we’d be okay and, consequently, the business of finishing bottom was neither here nor there. Did we simply play out the season after a particular stage? Was it then easy to draw a line under the sorry business, assuming Eddie May was only ever on a short term-contract?
Whilst we’re on the topic, can anyone share any insights into the conduct of Victor Green, the Stevenage chairman, and his efforts to reach an “agreement” (of a dubious nature) with Mike Bateson? Furthermore was the rumour true about Barry Hayles (who scored twenty-nine league goals for Stevenage that year) finishing runner-up to Charlie Oatway in our player of the year award?
Thirdly – a random one - but who else saw that appalling 5-0 defeat at Lincoln which finished our season? I’m at a loss to think of another time when a group of football supporters was so much out-of-love with a football club and the players which made up the team (well, since the Webb days, that is….). It was such an alarmingly depressing day that you had to try to enjoy it to remain sane and calm. The booing of Richard Hancox (simultaneously from both sets of supporters) still echoes around my head…..
Oh yes, finally, an Eddie May reminiscence. Two or three years later he was offered the job to coach Pakistan. Radio Five carried an interview with him when he joked about his plans to open a corner shop and how his mates had started calling him Eddie Singh. A certain lack of cultural awareness I fear…
Although Eddie never [played for us he did put in some unforgettable performances as a player against us for Wrexham and Swansea and he was also a fine player for Southend United as well.......................a real old school, demanding, dominating and domineering centre half!