YOU certainly can’t accuse John Askey of not knowing the score. Five weeks ago the man that lived, slept and breathed Macclesfield Town for the best part of three decades had got what he really wanted. He’d done it at last!
It was 1984 when the love affair began as a player, and he’s hardly missed a day since.
The best part of 30 years on from first kicking a ball as a no-nonsense teenager, they gave him the job as manager.
It’s “only to keep me quiet” according to the man himself after nearly 700 appearances and numerous roles, facing a huge rebuilding job at the Conference Premier club with just two players remaining from last season at the Moss Rose.
He may not be that long in the tooth when it comes to the turbulent world of first-team management, but the thick skin needed to cope with life in the dug-out seems to be built in to the 48-year-old.
Enterprise
He said: “That’s the thing, I’ve always been at the club with the exception of the odd period away.
“But I’ve always had a pretty safe job up until now. Player, reserve team manager, assistant manager and the head of the club’s youth development – great roles which I have loved, but I always knew I’d be there until the end of the season.
“I’ve probably done every job here in my time, but now I have taken over as manager, I suppose the day is coming closer where they wash their hands of me!
“When the moment comes when they need a new person in charge, that’s probably me done here which would take some getting used to.
“It’s a challenge to try and keep the job I suppose but I try not to think about it. I don’t fear it, you’ve got to embrace the situation. I wanted the job and now I’ve got it. It’s about making the very best of things and seeing what we can do.”
Askey is Macc through and through, so the supporter within him will accept he may not be in for the smoothest of rides.
The money gone, the Silkmen are now officially a community-owned enterprise with every penny needing to be accounted for.
That means no cash injection, spending what you are bringing in with very little wiggle room should someone catch your eye.
“The club’s going through a rough patch, no doubt about it,”?Askey added. “It’s changing, we’re community-owned and it’s a different ball game in a number of ways.
“We’re in the process of trying to to get the club straight again. It’ll take time, but hopefully we’re getting closer. It will take a year or two to get things right.
“In the Football League perhaps people were getting paid to do the odd jobs, painting the ground or do the odd electrical job. We’re now trying to get things back to the old days, getting the supporters to bring a brush down and call in the odd favour and save ourselves a few hundred pound where we can.
Extravagance
“It’s a Non-League attitude we need, we all need to chip in to keep the club going. I like the thought of everyone pitching in and doing their bit. It’s what we need right now.”
Askey is certainly getting his hands dirty. The man that used to help get the players kit together in their Football League days is up against it.
Only Peter Winn, the 24-year-old midfielder, and shaggy-haired playmaker JP Kissock, 23, remain from last year’s squad, one that created history by taking eventual FA Cup winners Wigan Athletic so close in round four last January but ultimately failed to recognise a ‘top five minimum’ place the board’s extravagance demanded.
A somewhat less pressured existence awaits from August 10, when Town kick-off their second Conference Premier season at home to Nuneaton.
On board this week is striker Connor Jennings, a loan signing from Scunthorpe. And there could be four more to come. He’s bargain hunting now.
He added: “The positive thing is the squad is my own, I’ve not had to accommodate anyone – the budget doesn’t allow for a big spend but I really think this is a good time for me to take the job on.
“I like to think I can spot a player. We’ve had a number of players go through the system, probably the most high profile is Southampton’s Rickie Lambert.
“It’s been a busy summer and we’re still looking for players, we’re still short but I am really enjoying putting this squad together and watching it grow.
Investment
“There have been changes but in terms of the managerial structure it will be a familiar one for the fans. They know me from down the years and they will know Efe Sodje too. He’s a cult hero at Macc, he’ll have a big part to play on and off the pitch.”
It could have all been so different. Part of the delay in naming Askey, who took temporary charge when Steve King was disposed of in April, was because they were waiting on a bigger name. And with him, the possibility of big investment.
Robbie Fowler, the Liverpool legend, was in discussion for over a month about taking over. But in the end the promised finances didn’t materialise, and nor did the big name appointment.
He is open when discussing the fact that his budget this season will be around a third of what was available last year. His confidence hasn’t been knocked, suggesting the club can improve on its 11th-place finish from last year despite the testing conditions.
“I’m just glad I have been given this opportunity,” Askey added. “Whatever the circumstances, I would have taken the job because the club means so much to me.
“Sometimes you need a challenge, and in life you need to be pushed. Yes we’ve got less money to work with and yes things have changed but what’s important is that we still have our club and we’re trying to make sure the supporters here get what they deserve – and that’s a team that does them proud. It’s what matters to me the most.”
