Leeds2022

I woke up and wondered if the phonecall had been just my caffeine fueled imagination. I checked my phone records, yes it was real. I, Christopher Marsh was set to have a meeting with the legend that is Mr Ken Bates, the saviour of Chelsea and Leeds United. I wasn't entirely sure why though, he seemed very cagey as to what the meeting was actually for, which wasn't like the Ken Bates we all know. He just said an opportunity had arisen and that he wanted to meet me. I was hardly going to turn down the chairman of Leeds United now was I?

I made sure i was well dressed and well groomed as first impressions are everything and i didn't want to ruin my chances, whatever they may be as soon as I walked in the room. Travelling down the A64 to Elland Road from my home in York I kept replaying the conversation in my mind, trying to pick out any hints of what could be in store for me.

I pulled into the car park and parked next to the only other car in the place, it happened to be a rather luxurious Merc, I got out and suddenly froze as the rear passenger window buzzed and went down to reveal the familiar face of the chairman. I stood dumbfounded and all I could manage was

"Good morning Mr Bates, pleased to meet you."

"No you're not your almost bloody wetting yourself, I bet you'd rather of stayed in bed eh" He smiled as he said it, so I guessed it was his attempt to put me at ease.

"Let me cut to the chase Mr Marsh, I've arranged for this meeting today because we need a new manager!"

I wondered why he was telling me this, then it dawned on me. I immediately froze and wondered what i should say, should I ask for time to consider it or ask why me but I found myself already saying..

"I'm your man!"

"Excellent Mr Marsh!, report to the board room 9am sharp tomorrow. You'll be filled in on the whys and wherefores then, I'm sure you have a lot of questions and don't you worry you'll have them answered. Good bye Mr Marsh"

With that the window went up and the car rolled out of the car park leaving me wondering what the hell I'd just taken on.

Leeds2022

8:30

I left my car at a relatives and thought it would be best to walk down to Elland Road, give me time to think about what was going to happen and also because I thought it would be slightly embarrasing turning up in my old battered Astra. I wondered if there would be any press conferences or interviews, I mean this is Leeds United, still a big club by anyones standards. What would I say to the fans and gathered press. I noticed that I'd stopped walking and was seriously considering going back to the car.

I remembered what it was like when we were relegated and how the fans, I included were in tears and how it hurt when the players left for pastures new. I didn't want it to happen again, alright we had a team now and we were relatively sound finacially, but I still felt the tingle of apprehension at the prospect of getting relegated if I'm not up to the job. I wanted Leeds back in the Premiership not mid table obscurity and boy was I going to give it a shot.

Leeds2022

8:55

I stand outside the ground staring at the statue of Billy and wonder what he'd make of all this. There seems to be no one around at this time, the press surely wouldn't have heard about this yet and the fans would all be at work. Still it's probably for the best.

My day dreamings broken when my phone burbles into life, its Ken.

"Oi, you bloody coming up then or what?, we don't have all bloody day" he chuckles.

"Yes Mr Bates, I'll be right there"

I get directed to the board room and find Ken is there waiting for me, he looks calm and collected, the complete opposite of how im feeling.

"Right, good you're here, I want you to be honest in there, no talking bull, we've had enough of that already from previous managers. Just be perfectly honest and you'll get on fine."

We walk in together and Ken goes and sits down at the head of the table as I stand there looking awkward. I walk towards the only empty chair and venture "Good morning"

The board stare...

"I take it, its straight onto business then" Sensing that Ken was right and no point engaging in niceties.

"Yes, Indeed Mr Marsh, Ladies and gentleman, I'd like to present to you our hopefully newest member Mr Christopher Marsh. I'd like to take this opportunity to officially offer him the job of Leeds United manager.

A board member looks me up and down sceptically "You done this before then?"

"No this is my first time..." I look at Ken and he nods his approval.

"...but!, I love Leeds and like you want whats best for the club. It is going to be a big challenge getting us back into the Premiership, but I do believe it can be done and thats what I am going to do. We should be the biggest team in Yorkshire, second to no one, we should be enjoying derby games against Manchester United not against the likes of Hull City and I aim to bring that back to the club."

Silence, no one utters a word and I feel as though I've just been hit by a steam train. Then I notice the board are smiling and nodding to each other, they like'd it, oh thank god they like'd it.

The board all introduce themselves to me one by one and we all chat about past Leeds glories and we all agree that we want to be back in Europe one not too distant day.

Leeds2022

9:20

The board made their excuses and left one by one shaking my hand and welcoming me on board. I feel like I've been accepted which is definately one of the first hurdles successfully negotiated, I'm going to need the boards full support if I'm to move Leeds on, the fans however are an entirely different prospect and it will take some time to win their support. They've had it tough and its about time they had something to smile about.

Ken walked up and patted me on the back.

"Well, that went rather well didn't it Chris?, like I said, "Honesty is always best." They certainly left in a better mood than when they came in, you've given them something to look forward to."

"Well I hope I can deliver Mr Bates..."

"Ken, call me Ken, all this Mr Bates nonsense can stop now son"

"...I hope I can deliver Ken, this is definately going to be the biggest challenge of my life."

"Well your next challenge is scheduled for 10 am, its a press conference I'm not entirely sure what you can expect Chris, I would imagine that there will be most of the national broadcasters there, local news, sports press etc. It seems that someones heard about Kevins departure and that we've got a complete unknown ready to take the reigns. They will take what you say out of context, so be careful with what you say and try not to give them too much fodder. As you know this clubs been in the tabloids for all the wrong reasons in the past, its time to get us some good press. ok?!"

"Yes of course Ken, I'll make sure of it. Oh and by the way, why did Kevin leave?"

Ken straightened his tie and gave a quick look of consternation. "Well he'd decided to take time out of football for a while, he'd been of ill health recently. High blood pressure, stress of rebuilding the club etc has taken its toll on him and he felt he needed to leave and get himself sorted out. Put us in a bit of a predicament really, no one wanted to take over from him as people seemingly feel that Leeds are an uncertain prospect and want a more stable club. Thats where you come in Chris"

God, what had I let myself in for. High blood pressure, stress, ill health it all sounded like a right barrel of laughs. But I resign myself to the fact that any job can have high amounts of stress and that I'd rather be doing this than any office job. As i left the board room I tried to prepare myself mentally for the next challenge, the media. Are they going to try to catch me out, are they going to try and make me promise things that I can't deliver. Of course they are, but I'm not going to let them.

Ell and Back

Leeds \o/

Nice start, obviously be following this closely. Good luck

Leeds2022

Sky Sports Breaking News

A totally unknown manager has today been appointed as the new manager of Leeds United. It is believed that the new coach, Christoper Marsh, has no previous management experience and his appointment will come as a huge shock to Whites fans.

Ken Bates the chairman of Leeds United issued this statement "Everyone involved with Leeds United would like to wholeheartedly thank Kevin for all he has done here. We wish him all the best for the future and hope he comes back to football in the future. However the club will move on regardless and I feel that Christopher is the man for the job. Thank you"

I'm starting to get a headache from all the flash bulbs and camera noise. I have to at least look like I'm in control. I'd rather be out on the training pitch or in the office than here with all the media sniffing for a juicy quote or mistake. Ken wanted me to get it done as soon as possible, no need to give them too much of my time.

"Chris, Chris will you get Leeds promotion this season?"

Oh god, the worst question possible. I know the fans want Premiership football but I don't want to over promise. "It's going to take some time before the players and I get to know each other, we have a more than capable squad and I do believe that with a combination of hard work and a little luck we will be in the thick of the promotion battle come the end of the season."

"Will you be making any major changes to the squad you've inherited"

Another question probably designed to cause unrest before we've even kicked a ball."Of course I have my own way of doing things, and as such all the players will start off on an equal footing. If I feel that a player isn't pulling his weight then I won't hesitate to tell them. If a good transfer prospect comes up and its in the interests of bringing the club forward then I'll do my best to bring them to the club. However bear in mind that you will not be seeing the extravagant spending of previous regimes. The clubs stable financially now and I won't be looking to jeapordise that. And no I wont be bringing any gold fish to the club" I laugh and the press seem to accept what I've said. I bet the press won't hesitate to mention the gold fish quote"

"Whats your personal goal"

"To look to the future. The club has a great past but its time to look to the future and make a new history for ourselves. I want Leeds challenging for trophies and European honours again. Thats my personal goal and I'm sure the players will agree that Leeds are a club that should be up among the elite again."

Ken answers a few of the presses questions, mostly about finances and rumours of takeovers. He's a natural unlike me and manages to not give a straight answer or say anything inflammatory. The press finally give up and Ken and I pose for pictures as the press conference draws to a close.

My first day at the club and the roller coaster ride I've just stepped on is in motion.

Leeds2022

Cheers bud, thought it was about time someone did a Leeds story, lets hope I succeed

Leeds2022

I get the keys to my office and go on up. The first thing I do is sit down and let it all sink in. I am the new manager of my favourite team. What the hells the world coming to!? This only happens in dreams doesnt it?

I glance at my desk and notice all the player files are out and neatly stacked ready for my perusal along with a selection of newspapers. I immediately recognise the name Duberry and have a quick scan of the article. Poor guy I think to myself. Hes only just got his career back on track with Stoke and now they're been linked with Mikele Leigertwood who's apparently unsure about his position at Palace. Looks like his days are numbered. Then I remember that we paid £4 million for the guy from the Chelsea scum and how he was useless and overpaid. Hmm Mikele Leigertwood I've heard about him, pacey right back, could be a good replacement for Kells, I'll get him scouted but I'd better find out who the scouts are first.

Theres a light tap at the door and I look up to see a young girl who introduces herself as Rose the PA. I get up to shake her hand and she looks shocked. "Don't worry I don't bite." I smile.

"Pleased to meet you Rose."

"Is there anything I can do for you Mr Marsh?"

"Yes please Rose, call me Chris and also could you get the assistant manager up here, I believe he's called Sam?"

"Certainly, I'll back ASAP"

10 minutes later Sam knocks and I go and shake his hand. "Morning Sam, I'm Chris as I'm sure you already know, pleased to meet you and I look forward to working with you.", "Likewise Chris, expectations are high this season and we're going to have to work hard". I immediately set about finding out who the pre-season friendlies are against as I want to assess the squad that I've been left. Sam also fills me in on whos doing what, transfer rumours and other bits of information that he thinks I might need to know about. He informs me that although Rose is a really nice girl she has a habit of speaking her mind and being blunt. I'm going to like her I think.

I look at the list that Sams handed me and it has some team names neatly written on it:-

Motherwell -[A]
West Brom -[H]
Nottm Forest -[A]
Shrewsbury -[A]

I raise an eyebrow. "Bloody hell, Motherwell thats a bit of a trek isn't it?, whoever booked those fixtures obviously likes to travel."

Sam smiles "Yes, its only 4 days away mind so we've got a bit to do before we go up there. You've yet to meet the lads and I can safely say they're anxious to meet you."

"Oh don't worry I'm sure they'll be sick of the sight of me soon enough!" I joke. "Seriously though, I'm sure that some of the lads won't be happy at my appointment and I'll need all your support to get them onside and pulling in the same direction. Can you get Rose to arrange for me to meet the players one on one please?, oh on second thoughts would you mind being there with me"

"Yes not a problem chief"

Sam walks out and I set about reading the collection of papers. Theres some interesting rumours flying around, the normal "I'm bigger than the club" outbursts that you come to expect from overpaid prima donnas although I didnt expect Steve Sidwell would be considered a prima donna but hey you live and learn. I glance at the various statements of intent from premiership players and managers and imagine myself doing the same when we get back there.

Leeds2022

My phone doesnt stop all day, friends and relatives expressing their surprise and/or dissapointment at joining a rival club. Mostly texts consisting of "What the hell have you gone and done now Chris?!" I grin at the screen and put the phone back on charge.

Rose walks in and informs me that theres a gathering of fans at the main entrance and that they'd very much like to meet the man who's just been put in charge of their beloved club. Hmm my first meeting with the fans, this'll be interesting.

Half an hour or so later I'm back in the office. I drop into my chair and think about what just happened, that went as well as I could have hoped. The majority of fans seemed optimistic and joked that I couldn't do worse than Vegetables and Reid. I agreed with them and asked them on their views of what was happening at the club, most agreed that the club had turned a corner and that Premiership football was going to happen but maybe another season of consolidation in the championship would be best. That surprised me greatly, but also reduced the pressure on me. Fine that was only 100 or so fans I had 20,000 plus to please come matchday, hopefully 40,000 when we get back to where we belong.

Leeds2022

13th July 2005 (Thorpe Arch Training Ground) 2nd Day in the job.

I roll up at the training ground and Sam's stood there waving a clipboard at me and smiling. "Right, I've written a brief schedule for you, you'll be meeting the players in order of position."

"Brilliant, good job Sam, if you feel like you have anything to add please don't hesitate to butt in I know you have more knowledge of the guys that me and any input would be greatly appreciated."

We go into the training ground office and I'm keen to make sure the atmosphere's as informal as possible. I'm going to be as up front as possible so no point in giving the ambience of an interrogation room. I keep the door open as Sam and I await the first player.

First in a recent addition Ian Bennet "Hi Ian, come in and take a seat. Right I'm going to tell you what I'm going to be telling everyone, you do well in training and friendlies and you'll get game. You and Sully are both brilliant stoppers, I'm aware that you both have vast experience and I'm sure that theres gonna be some intense competition between you. Just make sure that you channel your energies into taking the club forward and we'll get on fine."

Ian smiles and nods in acknowledgement. "Fair enough boss, sounds good to me, I'll do my best you can be sure of that"

"I'll look forward to seeing you in training mate, see you later"

Ian leaves and Sam looks at me, "Whats up Sam?"

"Nothing chief, just thought you handled that well, you sure you've not done this before?" he smirks.

I laugh just as the big Scot Neil Sullivan strides in. "Morning Chris, how are you"

"I'm brilliant thanks Neil, Im glad to see you have signed a new contract with us. I believe you have a lot to offer the club and as I said to Ian, you're both brilliant keepers and you'll both feature heavily in the clubs drive for promotion this season."

"Thanks Chris, I'll try my hardest to repay your faith in me. I hope we can get some Premiership footy next year boss." With that we shake hands and I turn and nod my approval to Sam as the bulky frame of the scots exits the room.

The meeting with the keepers has been successful, next up the defenders and I hope the meetings keep going well.