Re: Our best manager/managers
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2026 5:33 pm
A worthy mention to Kenny Lowe, he came in when there was no team and very nearly no club, we started a few weeks into the season as the Unibond league and Duncan Bayley didn't want to accept us and were playing catch up.
As others have said he had a solid first season which wasn't even a full one, brought in some good players the likes of Micky Waller and Nicky Peverell and a few ex pros in there that played good football. Bullimore, Anthony, Gaughan. His second season we were up towards the top and but for a bankrolled Accrington Stanley would've won the title in 2003. "Not bad for a bunch of fat lads!"!
Was a shame when he left for Oz and Lee Turnbull never really stepped up as manager from assistant.
Ian Evatt will go down as one of the best for doing what probably no one thought was possible and maybe COVID-19 did us a favour but the football last season and his professionalism transformed the club, a real shame he was persuaded away when he was so soon after success as the next season might've been very different had he stayed.
Also though a big mention to Rob Kelly, might only have been caretaker manager but without him we'd have gone down after that first season back in the EFL and who knows then what would've happened. He took a team with some very limited players, loan players and one lacking in belief to fight and I can't remember his points per game average but it was ridiculous compared to under Dunn and then Jolley.
A mention also to Dave Bayliss and Darren Sheridan who transformed a team third bottom in November? to almost beating Bournemouth away in the FA cup, going on a long unbeaten run and getting promotion via the play offs. Add to that a couple of FA cup runs and FA trophy win before it ended.
As others have said he had a solid first season which wasn't even a full one, brought in some good players the likes of Micky Waller and Nicky Peverell and a few ex pros in there that played good football. Bullimore, Anthony, Gaughan. His second season we were up towards the top and but for a bankrolled Accrington Stanley would've won the title in 2003. "Not bad for a bunch of fat lads!"!
Was a shame when he left for Oz and Lee Turnbull never really stepped up as manager from assistant.
Ian Evatt will go down as one of the best for doing what probably no one thought was possible and maybe COVID-19 did us a favour but the football last season and his professionalism transformed the club, a real shame he was persuaded away when he was so soon after success as the next season might've been very different had he stayed.
Also though a big mention to Rob Kelly, might only have been caretaker manager but without him we'd have gone down after that first season back in the EFL and who knows then what would've happened. He took a team with some very limited players, loan players and one lacking in belief to fight and I can't remember his points per game average but it was ridiculous compared to under Dunn and then Jolley.
A mention also to Dave Bayliss and Darren Sheridan who transformed a team third bottom in November? to almost beating Bournemouth away in the FA cup, going on a long unbeaten run and getting promotion via the play offs. Add to that a couple of FA cup runs and FA trophy win before it ended.