Steve Cotterell celebrates with the FA Trophy win with Cheltenham Town in 1998
WHO inspires the inspirations in the ever-changing world of football? Which traits stand the test of time?
In the latest in our series, we pick the brains of one of the most familiar faces to grace Non-League‘s top table, Stourbridge manager Mark Yates.
The former Cheltenham Town and Crawley Town gaffer surprised many by taking on the task of steering the ambitious Glassboys to promotion from Southern League Premier Division Central having spent is life in full-time football.
He guided Kidderminster Harriers, a club he had represented with distinction as a player, to an FA Trophy final – the first competitive match at the new Wembley Stadium – in his first senior post and took Cheltenham from League Two strugglers to two play-off appearances.
After helping to inspire Solihull Moors to a great escape in the National League and an ill-fated spell back in the Football League with Macclesfield Town, Yates had a brief spell back in charge of Kidderminster before heading to the War Memorial Ground.
But even in the part-time game, his heyday on the pitch at Whaddon Road, winning the Conference title and promotion from the old Division Three, still provides inspiration.
WHO WAS YOUR GREATEST GAFFER AND WHY?
It is a tough one, it would have to be Graham Allner at Kidderminster or Steve Cotterill at Cheltenham Town.
Graham took me on as a young kid but then Steve extended my career and probably took me into the coaching side of it so I would have to say Steve for what he did for me.
The standout thing is how thorough he is. He knew everything about his players, he knew everything about the opposition and he was always totally professional and so driven.
He got a team of captains at Cheltenham Town and put together a side that outplayed its ability.
There was a great bond and camaraderie in the group, we had good players but everything we did was based on the work ethic.
I was at Kidderminster when he wanted to sign me, he came to meet me and his knowledge and detail impressed me from the start.
Any questions I had were answered on the spot and in the right way, he was brilliant for me and then at the end of my career he gave me the opportunity to be his first-team coach up at Burnley. That is something I will always be grateful for.
WHAT IS YOUR TOP MEMORY OF WORKING WITH STEVE?
There are plenty but not all of them are printable!
I remember we had been on a 16-game unbeaten run in Division Three, it was the year we went up through the play-offs.
We went up to Halifax, they were struggling at the time but we lost 4-1.
Steve got us in the next day and I said something along the lines of ‘what are worrying about’. He came down on me like a tonne of bricks.
He shot me down in front of everyone and I got left to think about what I had said to him.
I couldn’t see it at the time but I do now, we got promoted and that was down to his level of professionalism and the way he dealt with us all and kept us together.
HOW HAS HE INFLUENCED YOUR STYLE OF MANAGEMENT?
You have to be yourself when you step into the coaching side of it but I have always liked Steve’s intensity.
He lives, breathes and sleeps football and that is something I have taken into my management roles.
We have always got on really well and I know what Steve is about.
I know he has been pretty ill with Covid recently and I am glad to hear he is making a recovery.
ANY OTHER INFLUENCES?
Graham Allner was a massive influence in the middle part of my career.
He gave me the freedom to just go and play, to be an important part of the team.
I loved the way we attacked teams at Kidderminster, we played with three up front and left three up when defending corners.
It was the sort of innovative stuff Graham had done for years, I loved the way we pressed and he was well ahead of his time. He performed wonders.
The pressing and counter pressing everyone talks about now, Graham was doing that 30 years ago and it was a brilliant way of playing. I really enjoyed playing under him.
YOU HAVE STEPPED AWAY FROM MANAGEMENT IN THE PROFESSIONAL RANKS AND TAKEN CHARGE AT STOURBRIDGE – HOW ARE YOU FINDING BALANCING FOOTBALL AND EVERYDAY LIFE?
I am loving it, maybe not the uncertainty the pandemic brings but where I am now is where I needed to be.
I had a bit of time out of the game, I had a few issues to deal with, and I have my new business now.
You have your time in football and I loved it but it is not something I crave now. Up until the past couple of years I have never had to work for a living and I have been very fortunate.
I decided I wanted to get back in and I have a great chairman at board at Stourbridge, the backing has been brilliant and it is just a shame we cannot repay that by playing and winning games at the moment.
We will be back whenever we are told to be to build a team that is going to take the club to the next level.
It is a tough, competitive league but we have a good squad that will hopefully be together and ready to go when we get back up and running.
