LIVES Bath City’s football manager Jerry Gill

“It has, and will always be, about 3 o’clock on a Saturday afternoon”

JERRY GILL Bath City Football Club’s manager on his one-day spell in prison and his touchline tactics

West Country born and bred Jerry had a 14-year career as a professional footballer playing for Birmingham City, Northampton Town, and Cheltenham Town amongst other clubs. He has also worked as a coach and a scout, including as a European scout for Norwich City which entailed many early morning Sunday trips to Italy, Germany, Holland and Spain to look for talent. After a spell in India working as an international football coach at the American Embassy, Jerry was appointed Bath City FC manager in October 2017.

I am the middle child of three. My mum Suzanne worked in the local village bakery whilst Dad Jim, was a long-distance lorry driver. Mum and Dad have been married 54 years to date and are the most amazing parents any child could have wished for.

My grandad was the local blacksmith, I enjoyed days with him, he was a very old fashioned, strong West Country man that lived off his land and enjoyed his gardening. He could often be found in his greenhouse dozing off with a glass of homemade scrumpy, rustic bread, and cheese with tomatoes off the vine at his side. Those amazing organic smells have stayed with me for life.

Football has always been my life from a very young age, it’s my passion. I began supporting Liverpool when I was a very young lad and watched them win the European Cup in 1977. They have stayed my team to this day.

I have been locked up in a police cell. I was part of the illfated Bristol Rovers youth team tour of Germany aged 14 and we were all locked up in police cells overnight. It was a terrifying time, but fortunately we were not charged, and were all released the next morning.

Before going to college, I was a baker boy, getting up at 4am to cycle to the shop to start my shift. On those cold winter mornings that was tough to drag myself out of bed. I have been a plasterer labourer for my brother and before I went professional at football, I was a sales rep for a sports ground amenity company.

The long term injuries I suffered as a player are the hardest to deal with. I spent a year not playing whilst at Northampton aged 32 years old, having ruptured my anterior cruciate ligament playing against Tranmere. Then at 39 years old I fractured my eye socket and cheekbone in four places whilst playing for Forest Green Rovers. Days injured doing rehab can be very lonely but, as I approached all my days as a footballer, I gave it all I had to get back playing. These challenges are what define you as a person.

My most prized footballing possessions are my England cap and shirt from representing the England non-league team; my promotion medals to the Premier League and League 1; and my playing shirts.

As a player and manager I absolutely love the feeling of being part of a team, winning after giving it all you have as a group. The banter and camaraderie are what it’s all about. I get a lot of satisfaction in player development and setting up a team to get the better of an opposition on match day.

I am a combination of things on the touchline. I like to think, and give the players tactical information but I must admit sometimes I can get too involved emotionally but I have worked hard on this. Others will probably say I am fully engrossed in the game on the touchline.

It’s been amazing to finish in the play-offs the last two seasons but not quite able to get over the line for promotion. I want to ensure we can improve year on year as a club on and off the pitch. We have done that and it’s proven in that average attendances, before the pandemic, were up 56 per cent to around 1,100.

I am really proud to have played at every level of the game and won four promotions including one to the Premier League with Birmingham City. Now as a coach / manager I am hungry to bring Bath City some success, whilst trying to push myself to the highest possible level I can get to as a manager.

I’ve never been motivated by the money or possessions. It has, and will always be, about 3 o’clock on a Saturday afternoon – that buzz and excitement in your tummy never goes. n

For more: www.bathcityfc.com