There's one other aspect of the Football League, and football in general, that I discovered when I was sacked by Bournemouth. He asked me to watch games for them every weekend and midweek and I spent months travelling around the country. At the end of that season, Gillingham offered me the manager's job. Tony Smith and his lovely wife Val had owned the club then, and I knew it was financially sound. Tony passed away in 2023 but Val still comes to visit us on the south coast and we remain great friends.

Source: BBC April 10, 2026 11:07 UTC