The Bostik Friday Interview: The future is orange

If positivity won prizes then there would be little doubt that, come the end of April, Walton Casuals manager Anthony Gale would be holding aloft the Bostik South trophy and wearing a large grin. That’s not to say that Casuals can’t win the league on the field as well as in his head- Gale certainly believes that they can, and given the way they’ve started the season there’s no reason to think he’s wrong- but what was apparent throughout this interview was a level of enthusiasm and commitment which managed to be both inspiring and exhausting. This is a man determined to be successful, determined to be a positive influence on those who play for him, and determined to do all of that without compromising his football principles and throwing cash around. Although, to be fair, he’s also quite aware that even if he wanted to throw cash, Casuals don’t have any!

We spoke the day after his side had earned a hard-fought point with a 3-3 draw at Greenwich Borough, and indeed started with a discussion about that match.

Against Borough you twice let a two goal lead slip- yet they are highly fancied, everybody’s pre-season favourites for the title, have a budget much larger than yours- so do you see the outcome in a positive or negative way?

Borough are still the favourites, but I’m aware that Gary (Alexander) hasn’t had a great deal of luck with injuries and hasn’t been able to put his strongest team out yet. We were superb in the first half, they were superb in the second half, and perhaps that was influenced by the slope on the pitch as the goals nearly all came to the team that benefitted from it- but I can’t really be disappointed. At half time we felt that we could have been further ahead, and that the penalty which Charlie Macdonald put away for them was a little soft, but looking at the balance of the game a draw was a fair outcome. And it was undoubtedly a fabulous game for the neutral.

Looking back to your start to the season then- five matches, five victories and the Mitre Manager of the Month Award. When you were sitting down to plan the campaign did you envisage starting so well?

I thought we had a chance. When we sat down in the summer to look at the squad we knew that we had a very young group of players with intelligence, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. We set out a philosophy that saw us being attractive on the eye when we had the ball and hard to break down when we lost it, and they’ve all bought into that. We brought in a little experience to go alongside that youthful vigour- Joe Hicks, captain Daryl Coleman and Denzel Gerrar who, although only 22, was a professional for two years at Millwall. We hit the ground running, that increased confidence and belief, and I’ve been delighted with the way we’ve acquitted ourselves.

The compulsory corner flag shot

But I’m a realist. Many of these players are around eighteen years old- the average age of our squad is something like 21.4- and they will be inconsistent, so I’m not getting carried away. That said, we bounced back from defeat against Lewes- a match I thought we deserved a point from- to get a good point at Greenwich where we perhaps should have had three, so we’re full of confidence as we approach the visit of Hastings United.

Last season, however, you also started well- five league victories from the first six- before becoming rather inconsistent. How do you avoid that happening again?

Last season we also had a very young team, but we didn’t have the core of experience that we’ve brought in this year. I think the balance of the squad is better now and whilst you’re always looking around at who may be available in case you need to bring in a replacement at some point, I’m genuinely delighted with what I have and confident in their abilities.

Whilst we’re talking about your squad, there has been a lot of talk about Josh Kelly, the young striker you have on loan from Maidenhead United. With seven goals so far- including three in cup competitions- he’s getting noticed in a big way. Can you keep him- and how far do you think he can go?

We’re very fortunate to have Alan Devonshire, the manager of Maidenhead, as a friend. But he loans us players not because of that friendship but because he understands the work we will do with them. We’re a developmental club, and Josh and indeed a number of the other young players get to training an hour early so that I can work with them, and often stay for an hour afterwards so that they can continue to learn. Our philosophy is to do all we can to make these players as good as they can be, and they’re hungry for that. I know that we’re lucky now, we have a fantastic stadium and fabulous resources to enable that coaching- balls, goals, space and time- but we’re set up to make the most of that, and to create a great environment in which these young footballers can learn their trade.

I very much hope that Josh will be with us for the rest of this season, but looking ahead I’d not be surprised if he were in the Maidenhead first team next season. Alan rates him very highly, and we want to send him back to Maidenhead ready to play at that higher level.

Both at Casuals and away from the club in your day job, your working life is almost entirely focused around the coaching of young players. You were a young player just starting out yourself once, at Arsenal and Palace, with dreams of being a professional footballer. How does your experience of being on the receiving end of youth coaching influence your own approach?

My career was taken away from me at the age of sixteen with a serious knee injury, and then when I tried to come back from that I was struck down with skin cancer. I suppose those experiences opened up my eyes at an early age about how short a footballer’s career can be- and how opportunity can be so easily lost or taken for granted. I want the people I coach to make the most of the opportunities they have, to work hard, to give the time to the game that it deserves. I know it’s a cliché but the game is beautiful; I’ve devoted my life to it and I want the young players who come here to see the love I have for it and to appreciate how much I want to help them to succeed. The squad I have this season need less coaching during a match than any I’ve had before; they have an inner drive, they’ve worked hard to get a thorough understanding of what they need to do, and they really want to win. That hasn’t come by accident- we have the right players with the right personalities and the right mindset. The coaching is important, but they have to want to be coached- and they do. The results so far are no fluke.

So are you aiming for a play off place- or more than that?

If you’re in football and you don’t want to win…well I don’t understand that. You’ve always got to want to better yourself, to improve, to aim high. There are an awful lot of teams in this division capable of gaining a play off position, five or six who could be champions. I believe we are capable of being in that five or six, and that we’ll end up at very much the right end of the table. Last year we had clubs, superpowers within the league if you like, who came in for our players with seven day approaches and threw large amounts of money at them, and it undermined our squad. This year I’m sure the same kind of offers will arrive, but I trust my players to understand that, at their ages and if they want to continue to improve and develop, to build a better future, they will be better off staying here for now.

So how does it feel to have a home ground again? You spent your first two years as a manager without a home to call your own- it must have made a big difference?

It’s magnificent. We spent the last two years training in parks, at golf soccer centres, it was anything but ideal. The most important thing for me is that we now have structure. We have space to do individual training, core training, sports rehab with strengthening and conditioning- we have a wonderful environment. We’ve never had much money as a club, and trying to hire random facilities continually hurt us in the pocket- and of course we were getting next to nobody through the gate because we weren’t at home. Now we have somewhere that everyone can come together, during the week and on a matchday, players, supporters, officials, all of us.

What are the club’s ambitions, then? Your crowds are already up 160% on last season, and fifty per cent above what they were when you last had a ground of your own. It’s early days but that must be encouraging?

The club is all about bringing people together. We have a tremendous relationship with our youth section, and over 475 kids, boys and girls, from under seven to under eighteen. I go and watch their games, and everyone involved in the first team set up is involved in giving them time, talking to them, supporting them. Last Sunday, for example, we had an open day which all of my first team attended, we watched the juniors, put on a skill session, put on a ‘Beat the Keeper’ competition, that sort of thing. It shows the type of players that we have that they’re all willing to give up their Sunday to do something like that, but it also builds relationships. The players in our team are only a few years older in many cases that the children playing in the youth section, and that inspires those kids to work harder in the hope of matching their achievements- and to come and watch the first team play, to bring their families along. That’s what will make us sustainable for the long term.

It’s our job to give the people of Walton a footballing identity. We want them to aspire to wear an orange shirt. I’m a local lad, and it’s great that people in the community want to talk to me about the club, understand what we are trying to do, and are encouraging. It’s a really special place at the moment.

Talking of the community then, what’s your relationship like with Walton & Hersham FC? Will both teams sharing the same stadium be difficult?

My role is to manage Walton Casuals, the relationship between the clubs I’ve left with the board. I know Simon Haughney, their manager, I like and respect him and we’ve spoken on the phone on numerous occasions, but that’s as far as it goes for me. I’m sure we’ll all get on fine!

Looking at relationships, your boss is also your Dad (Chairman and former West Ham United and Fulham defender Tony Gale). How does that work in practice?

One thing I’ve always wanted people to understand and acknowledge is that I'm there because I'm good at my job. I’ve been in coaching almost my entire life, and been successful at it. I was the manager of the girls academy at Chelsea FC for three years, looked after the 8-11’s and 12-16’s at Millwall, and I was the skills coach for the under 18’s at the New Den too. I've been in an academy environment where I’ve looked after players aged from 7 to 18, and I’ve worked with senior professionals too, so I’m not in my position because of him. I‘ve had a number of opportunities to work in the higher levels of the Non-League game- the chance to be an Assistant Manager in National League South, an Assistant Manager in the National League, a first team coach in the National League- and I rejected those opportunities because I want to work under someone I trust. So many managers will tell you that they can’t trust their chairman from one day to the next, but my chairman is my best friend as well as being my dad. He treats me like he would anyone else, in fact he’s probably harder on me because of our relationship- if we’re not doing well I know about it, you’d better believe it- but who better to learn my trade off than a man who played more than seven hundred times at professional level? And I’m still learning, and always looking to learn. At the moment we’ve got Alfie Taylor playing for us, and his dad Scott played more than 400 professional matches for Bolton, Blackpool, Tranmere- I appreciate his advice and ideas, too. If I wasn’t willing to learn, better myself, take advice from people like that, then I shouldn’t be here.

Looking back at your playing career, which coach most impressed you?

That’s a difficult one. I’d probably say that the best manager was Alan Devonshire, although you’re going to think I’m saying that because of our relationship! You always knew from Alan exactly what he wanted. Instructions were clear, everyone knew their role and their responsibilities, the style of play was clear, we were organized and disciplined. There was no ambiguity and that made us, as players, feel secure. He was very good to me too, supported me incredibly well.

And what about your time as a coach. Who have been the best players you’ve worked with?

There are a number who I’d mention. Reece James at Chelsea- an exceptional talent. And there are a collection at Millwall- Aidan O’Brian is a talented boy, just called up by the Republic of Ireland, Fred Onyedinma- his ability with the ball and his athleticism is a real gift and I expect him to go higher- and Ryan Sandford, a keeper, one to really look out for.

Is there anyone in your current squad at Walton Casuals who you see playing at a much higher level?

No comment! These young lads have something which can be worked with and if they buy into what we’re doing then who knows? At their age they need to work on their abilities not chase the biggest pay cheque, and if they do that then they’ve got a chance. I think their sensible enough to know that, though. Let’s see where it takes them.

If you want to join the growing band who are visiting Walton Casuals to see for yourself where the talent of this young team might take them, then perhaps pop along tomorrow for the visit of Hastings United. You’ll be impressed by the facilities, you’re likely to enjoy the football, and if enthusiasm can be infectious then you’re likely to leave feeling on top of the world.

For the people of Walton on Thames, perhaps the future is orange?