Chorley boss Andy Preece wants his Magpies to enjoy the ride as they push for play-offs

By Matt Badcock

CHOR BLIMEY! Chorley have crept back into the play-off places under boss Andy Preece, inset

PICTURE: Alamy

Andy Preece has seen a lot in nearly 900 games in management – and that’s why he wants Chorley to strap in and enjoy the ride.

The Magpies’ 2-0 victory over Hereford on Tuesday night saw them return to winning ways and remain in the National League North play-off places.

It’s been no easy task for Preece, who took over when long-serving Jamie Vermiglio left for Buxton last summer, and his staff as they maximise their resources.

But the former Bury and Northwich boss says it’s credit to everyone at the club they are in their current position.

“You’ve got to enjoy these moments,” Preece tells The NLP. “In your playing and management career, you’re probably going to have a lot more times where you’re worrying about the other half of the table.

“When you’re in this position, chasing play-offs and promotions, you’ve got to enjoy it.

“Obviously there is a little bit of pressure because you want to do well and you want to get promoted. But, I think, it’s an enjoyable time and that’s what I’ve been saying to the lads.

“They are playing so well. They’ve had great seasons whatever happens between now and the end.

“I don’t feel there is any pressure. It’s something we’ve got to enjoy that we’ve put all that hard work in to get ourselves in this position.

“We are looking at it really positively that we want to finish as high as we can. We’re now in touch with the teams above us and we can’t worry about the teams below us.”

Preece was Vermiglio’s assistant – as well as the club’s director of football – but admits returning to the hotseat when it became available wasn’t as simple as just saying yes.

“I knew why Vermo felt like (Buxton) was a good opportunity and a good time for him to go,” Preece says.

“We’ve overachieved for years and you think, ‘When is the year things don’t go for us?’

“People probably thought it was a straightforward decision but it was a tough one.

“We’ve worked really hard to continue the good things in place. We’ve got an unbelievable squad. We lost Harry Cardwell and Lewis Baines – key players – but the strength of what we’ve done over the last four or five years is our recruitment. Somehow we’ve managed to replace those lads with young, hungry players who have come in and formed.”

Preece, who hails club’s board for alwaysays keeping up to date with wages despitee lower than anticipated gates and a period with no home games, says a special environment makes up for the things their rivals can boast.

“It’s hard at times,” he says. “We don’t have a training base. We’ve got three places we go and if they’re not available we train on the pitch.

“We try and move things forward and we’re as professional as we can be within the finances we have avail- able.

“It’s a great environment to work in. I don’t think there’s been many better and the lads love it and enjoy it.

“Quite a lot of our lads are over 100 games, some over 200 games – they stay and it’s not for financial reasons, it’s because they enjoy it. That makes things a lot easier.”

Preece will reach 900 games in management – he had 165 as Vermiglio’s assistant – when they play Scarborough Athletic.

Having started out as player-manager for Bury in 1999 and taken in Worcester City, Northwich Victoria, Airbus and Southport since, it’s fair to say he’s seen a lot.

And the fire still burns.

“That’s a lot of games, a lot of years – and it does feel a lot of years,” Preece laughs. “From the outside it’s been good but it’s been tough, lots of challenges from pre-season right through, so it’s probably been one of my most satisfying seasons so far, for me.

“And coming back into a No.1 job after a few years, you wonder how you’re going to be. It doesn’t matter I’d managed so many seasons before, you still have those little doubts.

“It’s definitely different when you’re No.1, there’s no doubt about it. It’s been tough but it’s so rewarding when things go well.

“It’s a really nice milestone. It won’t be long from 750 as a a manager. I’d love to get to 1,000. Whether my heart and family will be happy about that, I don’t know!”