Pic: Aldershot Town FC
By Jon Couch
JUST like Jose Mourinho made a popular return to Chelsea, the man dubbed the ‘Ginger Mourinho' is back at his spiritual home – and he's got unfinished business to attend to!
Gary Waddock's name is already firmly etched in Aldershot Town folklore having led the club into the Football League in 2008, winning the Blue Square Premier title with a then-record 101 points.
Now, with the club back struggling among the depths of the National League, the former Republic of Ireland and Queen's Park Rangers midfielder has reclaimed the EBB Stadium hot-seat after a six-and-a-half year absence – and he's hungry for more success.
“I'm delighted to be back,” said the 54-year-old after penning a one-year rolling contract. “This club means a lot to me and I've missed it. I've missed the home games, the familiar faces and the atmosphere we created here.
“It's a quieter place here at the moment so we have to put a team together that's going to excite the crowd again and get this place rocking again.”
First, Waddock has a long, hard summer ahead of him assembling a completely new squad for the new campaign, starting with an assistant manager and backroom team.
With that in mind, Waddock expects progress to be gradual and has urged the fans not to get too carried away with success from the past.
“We've got to try and lay some foundations but it's going to take time,” he warned. “It will be a gradual process throughout the summer, it won't happen overnight.
“We're coming in at a different level this time round. What we achieved the first time, that's part of the club's history, that's put to one side now.
“Expectation will be there for sure but we've also got to be realistic and not get carried away. That was there and then, this is here and now. Here and now is the most important thing.”
Proven
Perhaps the most surprising element of Waddock's appointment was the speed in which it was processed – just five days after Barry Smith waved a fond farewell to the travelling fans at Bromley to head back to his native Scotland.
For chairman Shahid Azeem, though, it was no surprise at all. Waddock was not only his choice and that of the board of directors but, more importantly, he was the people's choice.
“We listened to what the supporters wanted and gave them the guy they wanted,” Azeem said. “We wanted someone proven, who both the club and the supporters could relate to and Gary was our man.
“Gary feels there's unfinished business here and is very keen on what we are trying to do to move forward.
“We've been negotiating for the last four or five days on contracts. If Gary's going to be half as good on the football pitch as he is at negotiating, then we are going to go far!”
