IT WAS just before Christmas when I went to Chesham to watch their FA Trophy second round tie with Barrow, and the Generals were sinking in The Meadow’s mud that had forced the players to warm-up on the neighbouring cricket club’s outfield.
Dave Bayliss’ Blue Square Bet Premier strugglers beat them 5-1 and with other teams in league action that day, regular promotion challengers Chesham dropped to 18th in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier table, three points out of the relegation zone.
The programme notes from chairman Brian McCarthy, pictured below, contained an ominous warning to manager Andy Leese.
“Something is drastically wrong and it is now up to the management and senior players to start turning this around or the club will have to get personnel in who will.”
From that day on, Chesham have lost just two of 24 league games and went into yesterday’s final league game against Kettering unbeaten in 16 and already assured of a play-off place. From winning at would-be champions Leamington on February 23, they had taken 40 points from 42 on offer.
Patience has been rewarded at the top of Non-League this year with Mansfield and Kidderminster sticking by Paul Cox and Steve Burr during difficult starts. It promises to be the case lower down, too.
McCarthy didn’t have to get in a manager ‘who will’, because in ex-Cheshunt and Potters Bar boss Leese – about to embark on his fourth play-off campaign in six seasons at the Buckinghamshire club – he already had one ‘who could’.
