Gloucester City legend and all-time appearance holder Tom Webb insists he’s not interested in returning to coaching or management, five years on from his departure.
Webb played over 600 games for Gloucester City between 2001 and 2018 ending his career as player manager for the 17/18 season.
The 39-year-old was quick to play down any chance of him returning:
“You’ve got to have a job outside of the game now,” Webb said. “I’ve got two young children and it’s just to much to balance it all.
“I remember Tim Harris would be selling his printers in Cardiff driving over two hours every day just to get to training and back. He’d be speaking to players, making phone calls all day.
“People really don’t realise the commitment, it’s too much, it’s all consuming”.
“I have a massive respect for anyone who manages at that level, it takes everything you’ve got to have a full time job and be a part time manager. I just can’t enable that now, being a teacher I’m not on my phone from seven in the morning until five-six at night so it’s just not possible.”
Gloucester City ended their 15-year stay in the Vanarama National League North this season, in a disastrous campaign marred with fan uproar.
“I have mixed feelings really,” Webb said. “The club went more professional in the COVID year and had more full time players but ran it with no sustainability last season and are seeing the repercussions of that now.
“They got in the play-off’s last season but are paying for it with the players being on most likely a lot of money. It was no surprise that come the end of the season a lot of those players left when the budget was cut and then the club was rebuilding from last seasons set of players.
“I’m a supporter now but when I was a player it was about local Gloucester talent, having a side consisting of local players and loan players who then supplemented us from higher levels, they just haven’t got that right this season. I bet Gloucester have had about 5000 players in the last few seasons.
“It’s a cut throat industry now, Cheltenham and Forest Green have had the same rise, turning professional and trying to get higher up. It’s great obviously but it’s just not what I was used to and the fact it wasn’t done right had done nothing but harm the club.”
Gloucester City have a chance to end the season on a high in their County Cup final game against Bishop’s Cleeve on Tuesday evening. It will be Gloucester’s first piece of silverware since 1993 if they are to come out victorious.
