Favourite internal promotion

[Saint Mikey]

With the news of Keith Andrews imminent promotion at Brentford got me thinking about all the the success we've had at doing this over the years:

1. Stuart Gray
2. Steve Wigley
3. Dodd/Gorman
4. Selles
5. Rusk

Only one remotely good decision was Merrington, who had a tough job but kept us up, just. Then got the chop for his efforts.

What was your favourite of these (mostly) serial No 2's??

[revolution saint]

Before my time but presume you could count McMenemy?

[Saint Mikey]

4 minutes ago, revolution saint said:

Before my time but presume you could count McMenemy?

Good point. Maybe the old geezers could enlighten us?!

[Turkish]

Jordan Sibley from Corteses gofer to head of PR

[revolution saint]

5 minutes ago, Saint Mikey said:

Good point. Maybe the old geezers could enlighten us?!

Yeah, the story as I understand it and been passed down from generation to generation was that McMenemy was appointed as an assistant but with the understanding that he was always going to get the managers job at some point.  I'm looking forward to tales of spangles, 3 day weeks and children going on strike (or was it miners?  Minors, miners, same difference).

[Badger]

1 hour ago, revolution saint said:

Yeah, the story as I understand it and been passed down from generation to generation was that McMenemy was appointed as an assistant but with the understanding that he was always going to get the managers job at some point.  I'm looking forward to tales of spangles, 3 day weeks and children going on strike (or was it miners?  Minors, miners, same difference).

I think McMenemy was appointed with the unusual title of Team Manager Designate, rather than an assistant.

Quite when the Board planned to elevate him wasn't stated when he joined.. My recollection though was that Forest sacked their manager, and there was a press report of them wanting to speak to Lawrie. Whether that was pure coincidence we'll never know but he was given full control shortly after.

(Yes, I remember the 3 day week - Saints played a midweek cup replay at Bolton, kicking off at something like 2.30pm to avoid the need for floodlights. Had forgotten 'Spangles' though.).

[Midfield_General]

I always really felt for Gorman. When Burley went he made it clear he didn't want the job but took it on anyway to help the club out because it was an absolute mess at the time. He had recently lost his wife after a long battle with cancer, the team was shit and the club was skint and in freefall on its slide down to League One. You could see at the time the unbearable stress he was under trying his best to do a job he didn't want with zero resources and a personal life in turmoil. 

[sambosa75]

I once got promoted from concourse catering to waiting in the Mick Channon suite and then promoted again a few weeks later to an executive box host, once looking after Posh Spice and a baby Brooklyn Beckham.  That’s got to be up there with the best, surely?

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

Dave Merrington always has my respect and admiration. He did a fantastic job bringing through the youth, a job he loved and excelled at. But was shoehorned into the first team manager's job, something you felt he didn't really want and he was later dumped for Graham Souness. All at a time his wife was seriously ill.

"Big ol' Dave's Red and White Army"

[Gloucester Saint]

5 hours ago, revolution saint said:

Before my time but presume you could count McMenemy?

Seen from the perspective of May 1974 and 1975 I suspect it would’ve been an unpopular internal promotion.

Seen from May 1976 to 1985, a very different story! 

[Tamesaint]

9 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Seen from the perspective of May 1974 and 1975 I suspect it would’ve been an unpopular internal promotion.

Seen from May 1976 to 1985, a very different story! 

Nowadays he would have been sacked immediately after relegation. Batman would have started a petition calling for his sacking after a couple of matches , someone on here would be calling for a fan's boycott and by the season end us fans would be voting with our feet and staying away. There would be no way that he would still be manager 2 years after relegation. 

Edited 22 hours ago by Tamesaint

[Holmes_and_Watson]

19 hours ago, revolution saint said:

  I'm looking forward to tales of spangles, 3 day weeks and children going on strike (or was it miners?  Minors, miners, same difference).

My relatives still talk of the child miners going on strike for more spangles, resulting in an energy crisis and a 3 day week.

Merrington by a mile for me.