Three Is A Magic Number?

As Bristol Rovers appoint Stuart Campbell as their third manager of the season, Nobes looks at how other sides who went through as many bosses during a campaign fared.

Dave Penney has been shown the exit by Bristol Rovers after two months

When Dave Penney reflects on his managerial career, it will include a tale of two Rovers. At the first, Doncaster, he established his reputation as a promising young coach.

He led Donny back into the Football League in 2003 before taking them to the League Two title a year later. He then consolidated the Yorkshire side in the third tier.

At Bristol Rovers, however, he hardly had time to get his feet under the desk. The 46-year-old took charge of just 13 matches at the Memorial Stadium as he struggled to turn around the League One outfit's fortunes.

Just two wins and nine defeats - conceding 28 goals along the way - later and the Gas had shown him the door, handing senior player Stuart Campbell the job until the end of the term.

He began his reign with a 1-0 win at Tranmere in midweek, taking the West Country outfit to within a couple of points of safety.

Not that having three different managers during the campaign is an ideal scenario. It paints a picture of instability and panic, pinning blame on one man rather than looking at collective responsibility.

Rovers are banking on their latest switch making the difference though, but what do the history books tell us about sides going through three different bosses in just one season?


Exeter City 2002/3

He now drives a milk tanker around Devon but, at the start of the 2002/3 season, John Cornforth [pictured] was in charge at Exeter.

As boss at St James Park though, he failed to deliver, and was removed from his position at the start of October.

The Grecians, just three points above the drop zone, turned to rookie Neil McNab.

However, the Scot managed just three wins from 20 games and with City rock bottom at the beginning of March he was axed.

Former Preston boss Gary Peters was drafted in for the last 13 games to try and save the Grecians.

Result: Despite collecting 20 points under Peters, City ended up 23rd, just a single point off safety, and were relegated to the Conference.



Northampton Town 2002/3

Cobblers had only narrowly avoided the drop the previous year - when they had turned to Kevan Broadhurst to replace Kevin Wilson.

However, the boot was on the other foot a season later, when Broadhurst was given the push and in came former England international Terry Fenwick [pictured].

His reign lasted just seven games though - five losses and two draws - dumping Town to a point off the bottom of League One.

Chief Scout Martin Wilkinson then assumed control for the last 13 matches of the season.

Result: Wilkinson hardly fared any better. Cobblers finished bottom of the division, a full 11 points from safety.



Macclesfield Town 2003/4

Macc began the season under the stewardship of David Moss, but after a third of the campaign found themselves only out of the drop zone on goal difference.

In came club legend and assistant boss John Askey into the top job.

However, he struggled to lift the Cheshire side out of relegation danger.

With seven games of the season remaining, and the Silkmen three points adrift of safety, he was moved back down to assist veteran manager Brian Horton [pictured].

Result: Collecting 13 points from 21, the experienced hand of Horton ensured Macc beat the drop comfortably in the end.



Millwall 2005/6

The Lions had already got through one manager before pre season had even ended.

Steve Claridge was swiftly removed after 36 days over concerns about his managerial style and the club's prospects for the season.

Ex-Wolves boss Colin Lee was drafted in, but Millwall struggled towards the bottom.

When he left just before Christmas the club were bottom of the Championship and five points from safety.

His assistant, and former Lions player, David Tuttle [pictured] then took over the reins with more than half the season to keep them up.

Result: That worrying pre-season proved correct, with Millwall finishing the season second bottom, and relegated with two games of the season still to play.



Torquay United 2006/7

Only a late great escape had saved the Gulls from relegation to the Conference in the previous campaign.

It had been engineered by Ian Atkins, who led the side into the new season.

However, a bright start soon evaporated and he was given the boot by new owner Chris Roberts with United just outside the bottom two.

Roberts hired former Czech Republic international Lubos Kubik to take over, but his disastrous reign saw the Devonians collect just a single win from 12 matches.

By the time Keith Curle [pictured] took over in February, Torquay were rock bottom and five shy of safety.

Result: Curle guided the side to two wins from 15 as they crashed to a dismal relegation to the Conference.



Leicester City 2007/8

Milan Mandaric hailed the summer appointment of Martin Allen [pictured] at the Foxes - then parted company with him after just three games.

Next up was Gary Megson, but it was roles reversed when Megson walked out on the club after just 40 days to join Bolton.

Mandaric then turned to Plymouth's Ian Holloway to bring some much needed stability.

With more than 30 games of the campaign remaining he was charged with guiding the club up the league table.

Result: Only he didn't. The goal-shy Foxes were permanently staving off the drop until, on the final day, slipping into the bottom three and being relegated.



Bournemouth 2008/9

A ten point deduction had resulted in Kevin Bond's men being relegated to League Two in 2008.

They then had the daunting prospect of beginning the season on minus 18 points.

Failure to win in their first four games saw him axed and ex-Cherries striker Jimmy Quinn being brought in to win their fight against the drop.

By the end of 2008, although back in positive numbers, they still sat seven points adrift of third bottom with half of the season remaining.

Popular former player and Quinn's assistant Eddie Howe [pictured] was thrown into a baptism of fire to keep the Dorset side up.

Result: The rest is history. The 29-year-old rookie garnered 39 points in the second half of the campaign as Bournemouth comfortably stayed up in the end.



Queens Park Rangers 2009/10

The revolving door was in full spin at Loftus Road as Rangers kept up their extraordinary managerial turnover last term.

Jim Magilton [pictured] began the campaign, with the Rs picking up after a slow start to be in contention for the play offs.

An alleged dressing room bust up saw Magilton leave and Paul Hart in as his replacement.

Hart's reign lasted just four matches though before he resigned.

Caretaker Mick Harford presided over Rangers slumping into the bottom five and were just three points above the drop zone when Neil Warnock was appointed.

Result: The outspoken Yorkshireman quickly turned things around in West London, and QPR ended up in 13th - well clear of any relegation danger.



Peterborough United 2009/10

Posh had just won back-to-back promotions into the Championship under Darren Ferguson's management.

A poor start that saw them bottom after 16 games led to the Scot being fired.

He was followed by Kettering boss Mark Cooper, [pictured] plucked from the Non Leagues.

His nightmare tenure only produced one win from 12, and he was given the push in January.

Jim Gannon was the next in the hot seat but, despite a relatively productive spell, he turned down the chance to stay on at London Road.

Result: Gannon's final game saw Peterborough condemned to relegation and Gary Johnson took over for the last four matches of the season.



Notts County 2009/10

Big-spending County were everyone's tips for the League Two title last term.

An inconsistent start saw the club's ambitious owners axe Ian McParland with the club only in the play offs.

They brought in Swede Hans Backe, [pictured] a close friend of Director of Football Sven-Goran Eriksson.

However, after a similarly erratic tenure, he was gone by the time the club's ownership fell through and a new regime turned to Steve Cotterill.

Result: Cotterill picked up the pieces, got the best squad in the division to play to their maximum, and an incredible late run took them to the predicted title.


Sheffield United 2010/11

Like Rovers, United are onto their third manager of the campaign.

The early sacking of Kevin Blackwell [pictured] was then followed by a four-month spell at the helm by Gary Speed.

When he quit for Wales though, they turned to Port Vale boss and proud Sheffielder Micky Adams.

He has struggled to turn around the club's fortunes though, and they currently look likely to be relegated to League One.

The Gas will hope to not suffer a similar fate.

Hero Takes A Fall

With Northampton Town parting ways with playing legend Ian Sampson as their manager, Nobes looks at how it worked out for others who made a similar transition at their club.

Club legend Ian Sampson had been in charge at Sixfields for just 16 months

"It's not about Sammo the legend," remarked Northampton chairman David Cardoza when explaining the difficulty of the decision to remove boss Ian Sampson from his position last week.

The Cobblers have experienced a disappointing campaign in League Two. Although expected to challenge for the top seven, new boss Gary Johnson finds his side lying well off the pace in 16th, a full 12 points off the play offs.

Sampson spent a decade serving Town as a player, making the second most appearances in a claret shirt. He then joined the club's coaching staff before replacing Stuart Gray in the top job in September 2010.

He oversaw an encouraging second half of the campaign, eventually steering Northampton to 11th, but has been unable to build on that momentum this term.

Despite a memorable League Cup victory on penalties over Liverpool, it's the bread and butter which has let Town down. Events at Anfield couldn't disguise underachievement at Sixfields.

Not that Sampson is the first, and he won't be the last, to have a go managing the club he represented with distinction as a player. Here's my look at how it turned out for a few others:


Roberto Martinez (Swansea City)

The Spaniard only spent four seasons as a player in South Wales, but became a fans' favourite for his cultured displays in midfield as captain of the Swans.

He helped guide them away from relegation to the Conference in 2003 before playing an important role in their promotion to League One in 2005.

He was controversially released by boss Kenny Jackett at the end of the next season - a move which upset many City fans.

Less than a year later he had returned to the Liberty to replace Jackett as manager and took them to the League One title in his first full season playing a brand of attractive passing football.

Consolidated them in the Championship before leaving for Wigan - arguably laying the foundations for Swansea's current push for the Premier League.


Bryan Gunn (Norwich City)

A Scot by birth, Gunn is an adopted son of Norfolk after spending more than a decade between the sticks as Norwich keeper.

He was twice voted player of the season during his time at Carrow Road, and was part of the side which, in 1993, finish 3rd in the Premier League - the club's highest ever finish.

A member of the Norwich team who upset Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup during the '90s as well as the Canaries' Hall of Fame. There's even a club at the ground named after him.

Initially was a goalkeeping coach at City before stepping up to replace Glenn Roeder as boss in January 2009. However, he was unable to stop Norwich sliding into League One at the end of the season.

He retained his post only to be removed after the first game of the new season, a 7-1 thrashing at home to Colchester.


Eddie Howe (Bournemouth)

Howe joined his local club as a youngster and spent the majority of his playing career with Bournemouth before leaving for Portsmouth in 2002.

However, he suffered an injury-hit time at Fratton Park and eventually re-joined the Cherries, initially on loan, before fans helped raise money to re-sign him permanently.

He progressed to the role of reserve team boss before taking over as caretaker manager from Jimmy Quinn with the club staring relegation to the Conference in the face.

The Football League's youngest boss engineered a great escape, despite an 18-point deduction. Then, last term, not even a transfer embargo could prevent him leading the Cherries to promotion to the third tier.

Before leaving to take over at Championship Burnley in January, Howe had taken Bournemouth into contention for back-to-back promotions.


John Askey (Macclesfield Town)

When Askey first joined the Silkmen, they were plying their trade in to the Northern Premier League. However, he helped them win the title in 1987 and gain promotion to the Conference.

During his time at the Moss Rose as a player, Macc twice won the Conference title and also secured the FA Trophy before finally reaching the Football League in 1997.

Twelve months later, Askey had again played a major role in Sammy McIlroy's side's elevation to League One as they secured successive promotions.

By the time of his final game for the club in 2003 he was assistant to boss David Moss, and stepped up to replace Moss a few months later - overseeing an improvement in results for the struggling Silkmen.

As they began to struggle again though he stepped down to assist the experienced Brian Horton as Macclesfield avoided the drop and then qualified for the play offs in 2005. Now in charge of the Town Youth Team.


Steve Tilson (Southend United)

As a player with Southend in the '90s, Tilson was part of the Shrimpers side who secured back-to-back promotions into the Championship.

After retiring as a player he joined the club's Centre of Excellence before being named caretaker manager of the first team in 2003 after the departure of Steve Wignall.

Tilson helped keep United in League Two and guided them to consecutive Football League Trophy finals, although they ended up on the losing side on both occasions.

However, in his first full season he took Southend to promotion via the play offs and a year later they had repeated his feat as a player - winning back-to-back promotions as League One winners.

He couldn't keep them in the Championship though, and eventually left the club after financial problems condemned them to relegation to League Two last season. Now at Lincoln.


Stuart McCall (Bradford City)

The Yorkshireman began his career at Bradford and during his first spell at the club was part of their third tier title winning side in 1985.

He returned to the Bantams in 1998 and captained them as they secured a place in the top flight of English football for the first time in 77 years.

They stayed there for a couple of years and, after retiring and spending time assisting Neil Warnock at Sheffield United, McCall returned to Valley Parade for a third time in 2007.

On this occasion it was as manager, with the club newly relegated to the basement division. Despite lofty expectations, he failed to guide them to the play offs in his first two seasons.

Persuaded to stay on by supporters, he eventually resigned midway through his third campaign - again with the Bantams struggling to make the top seven. Now managing at Motherwell.


Jim Gannon (Stockport County)

As player with Stockport, Gannon spent a decade helping the Hatters to two Football League Trophy finals as well as a couple of promotions.

Hugely popular with the Edgeley Park faithful, after retirement and a move into management in Ireland, the club turned to him to aid their battle against relegation to the Conference in 2005.

He helped them escape the drop on the final day of the season and then transformed them into a young side playing good football which, two years later, won promotion via the play offs.

However, County's financial turmoil saw him unable to take the club much further, and they only narrowly avoided the drop back to the basement division.

He was made redundant by cost-cutting County at the conclusion of the 2008/9 season. Now at Port Vale, but is constantly linked with a return to the Stockport job.


Mick Harford (Luton Town)

Often voted the best ever player for the Bedfordshire club, Harford spent six years with Luton during the 1980s.

During his time with the Hatters, he helped Ray Harford's men win the 1988 League Cup and preserve their top flight status. He also appeared for the England senior side.

He spent a short spell at Derby before returning to Kenilworth Road again, almost scoring the goals to keep Town amongst the country's elite. However, he left after relegation.

Harford was assistant to Joe Kinnear in 2001, helping Luton win promotion from League Two before leaving a couple of years later. He returned as manager himself in 2008, with the cash-strapped Hatters facing relegation back to the basement division.

Docked 30 points, he was at the helm as Luton crashed into the Conference in 2009, but did secure them the Football League Trophy. He left the club early on last term after a poor start to the campaign.


Ronnie Moore (Rotherham United)

Now in his second spell as manager of the Millers, Moore has a long and successful connection with the South Yorkshire club.

He first went to the club as a player in the '80s. His goalscoring exploits over three years made him a terrace favourite and saw him recently voted United's greatest ever player.

In 1997, he returned to Millmoor as manager and guided the club to successive promotions to the Championship where, despite a comparatively small budget, he kept them for four seasons.

Eventually, with relegation looking likely, he departed in 2005. However, he returned to Rotherham last season to replace Mark Robins.

Moore took the Millers to the play off final where they were beaten by Dagenham. They are once again in contention for promotion from League Two this term.


Brian Tinnion (Bristol City)

Despite being a man of the North East, 450 appearances over 12 years as a player at Ashton Gate means Bristol is the city most associated with Tinnion.

He was part of the Robins side who fluctuated between the second and third tiers during the '90s - winning promotion in 1998 but suffering relegation in 1995 and 1999.

Working with the club's youth system, Tinnion was already being groomed for the top job before becoming a player coach under Danny Wilson as City once again fought for promotion from League One.

He replaced Wilson as manager after successive play off failures, but in his first year at the helm Tinnion was unable to even guide the Robins into the top six.

A poor start to the next season saw him resign from his post following a 7-1 thrashing at Swansea left City in the relegation zone.

Big Match Review - Bournemouth 1 Huddersfield 1

Bournemouth 1-1 Huddersfield Town

Saturday February 19, Dean Court, (Att:7,923)

A Danny Cadamarteri goal two minutes from time earned Huddersfield Town a precious point in their promotion six pointer against fellow high flyers Bournemouth.

In a tight first half of few chances, Gary Roberts had the best opportunity to put the visitors ahead when his left footed volley from outside the box fizzed over the crossbar.

The Cherries stepped things up in the second half as they went in search of the win that would take them level on points at the top with league leaders Brighton.

Marc Pugh's deflected free kick brought the best out of veteran Town keeper Ian Bennett, but the Terriers custodian was powerless to stop the home side taking the lead 16 minutes from time.

Liam Feeney's cross from the right being powered home by the head of Michael Symes to put the South Coast side on course for their 12th home win of the campaign.

However, Lee Clark's men rallied and restored parity as Roberts and Cadamarteri played a one-two and the latter managed to squeeze the ball past Shwan Jalal for the leveller.

The Dorset outfit almost immediately responded though, with Feeney finding too much time and space to fire a shot in at goal, only to see the legs of Bennett deny him a winner.

It ensured Huddersfield remain unbeaten in 2011 and sit in third, three points behind a Bournemouth team continuing to defy the odds.

Big Match Preview - Bournemouth vs. Huddersfield

Bournemouth vs. Huddersfield Town

Saturday February 19, 15:00, Dean Court

Precious League One promotion points are up for grabs on the South Coast at the weekend as second host third with Bournemouth and Huddersfield Town going head to head.

While the big-spending Yorkshire side were one of the pre-season favourites to be competing for a place in next season's Championship, the Cherries are the division's surprise package.

Considering the resources at the Dorset outfit, it's hard to underestimate their achievement in challenging for back-to-back promotions.

They have also had to contend with the loss of inspirational boss Eddie Howe who, after turning down the advances of several clubs, eventually left to join Championship side Burnley last month.

That saw senior player Lee Bradbury take over in the dugout, assisted by club legend Steve Fletcher - and the pair have ensured a seamless transition after Howe's departure.

With four wins and two draws in their half a dozen games, the Cherries head into the match just three points off top of the table Brighton and are the same distance above their weekend opponents.

They'll also be looking to build on an excellent home record, with 11 victories from their 15 home games being unmatched in the third tier. However, two sides - Colchester and Hartlepool - have beaten them at Dean Court this term.

Key men for Bournemouth this term have been midfielder Marc Pugh who is the side's top scorer with 11 after the sale of Josh McQuoid to Millwall. Michael Symes, who scored their winner at Walsall last weekend, will also be looked to for goals.

Lee Bradbury has made the transition for player to manager at Bournemouth

Huddersfield come into the game as the only unbeaten side in League One in 2011. Lee Clark's men have won five and drawn three of their fixtures since the turn of the year.

They also enjoyed profitable runs in the JPT and FA Cup, narrowly losing 2-1 to Arsenal in the Fourth Round at the Emirates. Now their focus is solely on winning promotion.

The Terriers were losers in the play offs last term and look likely to at least be in the top six again this term, if not going up automatically.

To do so, they'll need to improve upon a chequered away record. Six games have been won on the road, at Exeter, Walsall, Sheffield Wednesday, Colchester, Notts County, and Leyton Orient.

However, they have also tasted defeat on half a dozen occasions at the likes of Peterborough, Rochdale, Swindon, Plymouth, Oldham, and Southampton.

Outstanding performers for Town this term have been top scorer Jordan Rhodes, with six goals to his name, and midfielders Anthony Pilkington and Gary Roberts - both in double figures themselves.

It's a sign of the attacking threat which Clark's men take with them on the long trip south as they seek to bring Bradbury's unbeaten start to management to an end.

I've a sneaky feeling that in-form Huddersfield are peaking at just the right time and will do just that to take all three points.

Nobes' Prediction: Bournemouth 1 Huddersfield Town 2

Tired Of Hanging Around

With Leeds and Norwich in the Championship, Bournemouth in League One, and League Two Oxford all vying for back-to-back promotions, Nobes looks back on other sides who've done the same in recent years - and what happened next.

Up from League One last year, Leeds and Norwich are fighting for successive promotions

Promotion for one, or both, of Leeds and Norwich at the end of this season would cap an incredible turnaround in fortunes at both Elland and Carrow Roads in the past two years.

The pair both won promotion from League One last term and have continued their momentum this term in challenging at the top end of the Championship. Successive elevations aren't out of the question.

League One Bournemouth, too, are also gunning for successive promotions after their against-all-odds promotion last season. Oxford, after their exile in the Conference, have also returned stronger and are mounting a play off push.

While continued success may sound like a dream scenario though, is there an argument for rising too far too soon? Here's my look at some of the other sides who've won back-to-back promotions and how they fared afterwards.


Watford 1997-1999

Graham Taylor, in his second spell in charge at Vicarage Road, guided the Hornets to the third tier title in 1997/8.

Twelve months later, and they had completed a return to the top flight for the first time in more than a decade - beating Bolton in the play off final.

However, after their quick ascent, they found themselves well short in the Premier League. Watford finished bottom, a full 12 points adrift of safety.

Relegated back down to the Championship, it took them another six years before they returned to the top tier for another single year.


Rotherham United 1999-2001

The Millers made it two promotions on the spin during the first managerial spell of current boss Ronnie Moore.

They finished runners-up in both the basement division and then, to everyone's surprise, in the third tier, too, as they returned to the Championship for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Despite small crowds and limited resources, there they remained for four seasons before tumbling back down the ladder due to financial problems.


Brighton & Hove Albion 2000-2002

Not since the mid-1980s during Oxford's rise up the footballing ladder had a team won successive championships.

That changed at the beginning of the new Millennium when Brighton went from the basement division to the Championship - winning both divisions along the way.

Firstly, Micky Adams took Albion to the 1999/2000 League Two title and then, when he left mid-way through the next campaign to join Leicester, replacement Peter Taylor kept the Seagulls on course for consecutive titles and promotions.

Their sudden rise, allied with cramped facilities at the Withdean, ensured Brighton were instantly relegated - although they did manage to bounce back at the first time of asking under Mark McGhee's stewardship.

Currently top of League One - dreaming of a return to the Championship ready for playing in their brand new ground at Falmer.


Doncaster Rovers 2002-2004

Rovers spent five years in the Conference after falling out of the Football League in 1998.

However, they became the first ever Conference play off winners in 2003.

In unknown waters, people predicted the second team to come up to struggle, but Donny shocked everyone by romping away with the League Two crown.

Dave Penney's side comfortably held their own in the third tier before winning promotion to their current position in the Championship in 2008 under his successor, Sean O'Driscoll.


Hull City 2003-2005

The year Doncaster won the basement division title, many people's favourites had been big spending Hull City.

With the experienced Peter Taylor at the helm, and playing in the brand new KC Stadium, the Tigers had to settle for second spot and promotion though.

Twelve months later, and they had made it successive promotions - as runners-up in League One to Luton. Taylor ensured City stabilised in the second tier before Phil Brown led them into the top flight in 2008 for the first time in their history.

They hung around for a couple of seasons before falling back down last May.


Southend United 2004-2006

After years of mid-table mediocrity in League Two, local lad Steve Tilson engineered a dramatic turnaround in fortunes at Southend.

The Shrimpers were victorious in the 2005 play-off final against Lincoln to gain elevation into League One.

There, they shocked everyone by winning the title - pipping local rivals Colchester to boot - and gain a return to the Championship for the first time in a decade.

They only lasted a year there, and although they went close to returning, off-field financial troubles saw them relegated back down to League Two for this season.


Carlisle United 2004-2006

The masters of avoiding relegation from the Football League finally paid the price for previous close-calls in 2003 when a disastrous start cost the Cumbrians their League Two place.

They bounced back at the first time of asking - Paul Simpson's men beating Stevenage in the play off final.

United then followed in Doncaster's footsteps by winning the League Two title the very next season.

Now firmly consolidated in the third tier of English football - as well as performing their usual JPT heroics.


Peterborough United 2007-2009

Ambitious owner Darragh MacAnthony fuelled back-to-back promotions in the Fens as Posh made it from League Two to the Championship.

Darren Ferguson led the Cambridgeshire side to runners-up positions behind Milton Keynes and then Leicester in successive seasons to return United to the second tier for the first time since 1994.

However, Posh struggled badly last term, culminating in Ferguson getting the boot and three other managers failing to stave off relegation.

Now back in League One and back under Ferguson's control.


Exeter City 2007-2009

The Devon side were the first victims of two-up two-down between the Football League and Conference in 2003.

They remained there for five years, losing out in the 2007 play off final to Morecambe before 12 months later returning to Wembley and beating Cambridge to win promotion.

Paul Tisdale's Grecians then finished as runners-up in League Two behind Brentford as they secured a return to the third tier for the first time in 15 years.

They battled against the drop last term, eventually ensuring survival on the final day to secure another year in League One.


What do we learn from a look in the history books? Certainly for Norwich and Leeds, winning successive promotions into the Premier League is rare. Watford found the step-up too big, but then they are a much smaller club.

They would find it hard, like all promoted sides in the top flight do, but would stand a better chance than most of staying up.

For Bournemouth, clubs of similar stature like Peterborough and Rotherham have found the going tough after their rapid ascent into the Championship. With their financial limitations, the Cherries probably would too.

Oxford have cause to be optimistic though. Plenty of promoted Conference clubs have gone straight through the basement division and none of them have been relegated immediately.

With their resources, they should feel confident that a second successive promotion can be the platform for establishing themselves back in the third tier.

Howe To Lose Friends And Alienate People

After Bournemouth's Eddie Howe leaves to take over at Burnley, Nobes considers the issue of loyalty in football and whether there's a way to overcome the loss of a manager.

Eddie Howe spent two successful years as boss of Bournemouth

It was the kind of dramatic U-Turn more commonly seen on an episode of Top Gear - or at a Lib Dem party conference.

A fall from grace so spectacular he went from Jesus to Judas in a matter of days. From hero to zero in less time than it takes to say: "A consonant please, Rachel."

The rare beacon of loyalty in a game with no morals who simply joined the queue of greedy opportunists only out for themselves and personal glory.

After the Bournemouth beach parties on Tuesday comes the hangover. Eddie Howe has upped sticks to the sticks - and moved to manage Burnley.

Believe it or not, the above sentiments will, more of less, represent the views of some Bournemouth supporters left feeling angry and let down by the man who, in just two years, has taken the club from second bottom of the Football League to third in League One.

Some may feel they are justified to be fuming after Howe's very public declaration of loyalty last Tuesday, informing fans that he had turned down the chance to join Crystal Palace and Charlton to stay on the South Coast.

Then, he spoke of the joy of being around the club and how he felt he couldn't leave the current squad of Cherries players. However, the courting of Dean Court's supremo didn't stop there - and this time nor did he he.

The chance to take over at Burnley, a club financially sound, strengthened by their season in the Premier League last term, and with the resources required to get back to the top level, was just too good for him to turn down.

You can hardly blame him, too. The Clarets were sensible in their approach to the top flight, and are now set-up to compete in and around the Championship's top six.

Indeed, if they are to return, they feel this year is their best chance - having retained the majority of their Premier League squad and still benefiting from parachute payments.

Brian Laws found to the cost of his job that simply competing for a play off place is not good enough at Turf Moor this year, chairman Barry Kilby has made it clear finishing in the top six is the minimum requirement.

After overachieving at Bournemouth in the last couple of seasons, Howe is walking into a club with big expectations and where he will be under pressure to deliver results - and quickly.

However, for a man who guided the Dorset club to safety despite the handicap of a 17-point deduction and then didn't even allow a transfer embargo to prevent him from leading them to promotion last season, it will be the kind of pressure he will relish.

Despite those sizeable achievements though, some Cherries fans, just as Burnley supporters felt last term with the departure of Owen Coyle to Bolton, will feel Howe has betrayed them by leaving.

Some, on hearing the news of his interest in the Burnley job, even declared that he shouldn't have anything to do with their Friday evening game at Colchester. It ended in an emotional 2-1 defeat in Essex - no doubt all Eddie's fault.

The problem is we perceive that, because we're loyal fans, so are others at the club. It is, of course, nonsense.

There is only one loyalty in football - and that is from fans towards their team. Everyone else connected with a football club, whether owner, manager, or players, are simply doing a job. It is their livelihood.

Bournemouth celebrate their against-the-odds promotion under Howe last term

They are not required to show loyalty. After all, would supporters be showing loyalty to their manager if he wasn't achieving results? Of course not. They would be calling for his head.

The recent spate of managerial sackings in the lower leagues, too, illustrates once again that chairmen often show their employees very little loyalty as soon as the team start to lose form.

Why then should a manager, in a job which seems under constant scrutiny and threat, have to show loyalty when they are presented with the opportunity to move to a new job?

And a job is the right word. This is how they make their living. This is how they put food on their family's table, how they can afford to put them through education, or go on holiday over the summer.

This is their profession. This is their career. How many of us, if offered a promotion in our work, a better job, more money, or just a fresh challenge would turn it down? How many of us wouldn't be interested or tempted to take it?

Even if we didn't, you can be sure an other half would be pushing us to take it - reminding us of kids to put through university, or being able to take that dream vacation, or being able to acquire that new 3D TV which won't buy itself.

We would be hypocrites to blame a manager for taking a chance he has rightly earned. As much as we might be disappointed by them leaving, we should wish them well and thank them for their good work.

My own club are in a similar boat - with a managerial team who have done a sterling job in the last couple of years, which has seen them linked with clubs higher up the football ladder.

Of course, it's a sign of how well we're doing, but I would be lying if I said the thought of them leaving, whilst not filling me with anger, is one that's worrying. After all, nobody wants to lose the services of a great manager, it's natural.

The fear is, like the Tower of London's ravens, as soon as the successful manager leaves the whole thing will come crumbling down.

It's understandable. A manager is the most important person at a football club. Get the right one, give him time and backing, and he can build a club up.

However, there's a danger in that scenario - the manager becomes the very heart beat of the club. The team is built in their image, to their preference, they become the embodiment of their manager and aren't the same without him.

Take Sean O'Driscoll, who now is Doncaster Rovers. Both in the way the side plays, and the way the club conduct themselves quietly and with dignity.

Paul Tisdale seems to be interwoven into not only Exeter City - a team that plays his brand of attractive football, but the people of the city of Exeter too - with a spirit and atmosphere unique to the Football League.

Is it any surprise, then, that both bosses have not shown much interest in opportunities to leave their posts? Both are intelligent men who would only depart when the time and club was right.

If, and when, they do leave their respective clubs, fans in South Yorkshire and Devon will be rightly concerned about the future.

What would the future hold for Doncaster without manager Sean O'Driscoll?

After all, how often have we seen clubs struggle when they lose an iconic long term boss? Crewe under Dario Gradi and Hereford with Graham Turner are two perfect examples of clubs who have suffered after long dynasties have ended.

In both cases, they were succeeded by their former assistants - Steve Holland at the Alex and John Trewick with the Bulls.

In the end, Gradi returned to replace Holland and Turner sacked Trewick and temporarily took over until the end of last season.

While the two clubs did struggle on the pitch - they should be put into context. Holland was at a club on a downward spiral, and Trewick's efforts at Hereford were solid compared to this year's campaign.

It would also be fair to say that the fact both Gradi and Turner stuck around in upstairs positions at their respective clubs didn't help. As hard as they tried, they couldn't help but overshadow their successors.

However, despite the succession method not working in those instances, perhaps it could be the way to counter the occurrence of managers leaving clubs and showing a perceived lack of loyalty.

If the loss of one person isn't such a disaster, then fans would surely not be as unhappy when they left?

Of course, it was the foundation of the success Liverpool enjoyed in the '70s and '80s under a string of bosses. Passing on the torch to one manager after another - trained and schooled in the club's ways and principles.

Watford's Malky Mackay is a good example of this. The success enjoyed by Nigel Adkins at Scunthorpe when he was promoted to manager is another. True, it doesn't always work out, but it can.

These days though, managers seem to move in teams, taking their assistant and coaches with them to their new employers - leaving a club in disarray with almost all their staff leaving when a manager departs for pastures new.

It destroys almost all chance of continuity and stability with the heart of a club removed. In the case of Bournemouth, Howe has taken assistant Jason Tindall with him up to Lancashire.

However, perhaps the solution lies in a change in the way football clubs are run. Not only is losing so many staff damaging to one club, it is also expensive for a side to have to hire a whole new set when a new manager comes in.

The former England and Watford boss, Graham Taylor, has suggested that, instead, clubs should employ backroom and coaching staff and hire a manager independently. It's an interesting idea.

After all, in no other walk of business would someone take a whole group of people from his or her previous office into their new one. Only in football do managers travel around in groups with their coaches.

Plus, if part of being a good manager is to man-manage and work with players of different personalities and temperaments, then surely working with existing coaches and other unfamiliar staff can be overcome?

That way, if a successful manager decides to leave his job for another, the shockwaves sent through a club does not have to be as great - with the consolation that the coaching set-up will remain intact with just a new man at the helm.

They often say no one man is bigger than any club. Perhaps it's time to try and ensure that's the case.

Big Match Review - Huddersfield 2 Bournemouth 2

Huddersfield Town 2-2 Bournemouth

Saturday September 4, Galpharm Stadium, (Att: 12,426)

Marc Pugh's equaliser 11 minutes from time rescued a point for Bournemouth in an entertaining encounter at the Galpharm Stadium.

The visitors had been in front with half time approaching, but goals either side of the break seemed to swing things Town's way until Pugh's late intervention.

It was through a predictable source that the away side got the scoring started. Just after the half hour mark, Josh McQouid curled a brilliant effort into the far corner past Alex Smithies for his fourth goal in three games.

He then missed a great opportunity to double his, and Bournemouth's, tally for the afternoon when he could only direct a low cross wide of the goal from close range.

It was to prove a costly miss as, in first half stoppage time, the home side equalised. Slack marking from a corner allowed Anthony Kay to power a header into the net to level matters at half time.

The goal seemed to buoy Town, and within three minutes of the re-start they found themselves ahead.

After the Cherries had failed to deal with a long throw into the area, Marvin Bartley brought down Gary Roberts for a penalty. Roberts stepped up to convert the kick himself and put Lee Clark's men in charge.

They should have extended that lead when a low cross from Roberts found Alan Lee, but the striker signed in midweek could only direct his effort onto the post.

The Dorset side made their hosts pay, too. A cross from Harry Arter found Pugh who headed the ball past Smithies for the leveller.

The Terriers almost snatched a late winner when Lee Novak forced Shwan Jalal into a great stop down low to his right, but both sides eventually had to settle for just a point.

Big Match Preview

Huddersfield Town vs. Bournemouth

Saturday September 4, 15:00, Galpharm Stadium

Two sides who have made promising starts to the new campaign clash in West Yorkshire on Saturday as big-spending Huddersfield entertain promoted Bournemouth.

Both teams occupy a spot in the top six after the first four games - level on seven points. However, whereas Bournemouth will be happy with such a positive start, it's the least that's expected of their opponents.

Town were beaten semi finalists in last term's League One play offs and are once again expected to at least claim a place in the top six - if not gain automatic promotion.

A sustained investment in the playing squad - both on transfer fees and wages - has occurred at the Galpharm Stadium over the past two years, and expectations are high for another fine season.

That puts the pressure firmly on young boss Lee Clark to deliver the goods. Fortunately, he has been to assemble one of the strongest squads in the division.

In the shape of Jordan Rhodes - with four goals to his name already - the Terriers have one of the top strikers in the third tier. He is ably supported by the likes of Gary Roberts, Theo Robinson, and Joe Garner.

Clark also looked to re-enforce his largely young team with a smattering of experience during the summer. Jamie McCombe from Bristol City and former top flight player Gary Naysmith were added to the defensive ranks in the close season.

In 20-year-old Alex Smithies, Huddersfield also have a highly rated goalkeeper who has been attracting Premier League scouts over the past 12 months.

Town will also be looking to continuing the excellent home form - typified by their 3-1 defeat of Charlton last weekend - which was the bedrock of their success last season.

There are big expectations for Lee Clark and his Huddersfield team

All of which means that visitors Bournemouth face a severe test of their League One credentials on the long trip north.

Boss Eddie Howe worked wonders to get the Cherries promoted last term despite suffering a transfer embargo and operating with one of the smallest squads in the Football League.

It was work which saw him attracting the interests of then-Championship outfit Peterborough. Howe has also been linked with the now vacant position at near neighbours Southampton.

Bournemouth have made a solid start to life in their new division, although they were careless in allowing a 3-0 lead to slip against Notts County and only collecting a point last weekend.

Their previous two away matches have left mixed emotions too - an opening day loss at Charlton being followed by a 3-0 success at Tranmere on their next trip.

Howe has also had to contend with the sale of key striker Brett Pitman to Bristol City. However, youngster Josh McQuoid has stepped up to fill the breach - scoring three times in the last two games.

Saturday is likely to be the toughest game the team from Dorset have faced so far though. Huddersfield are a very difficult team to contend with on home soil.

With such a rich array of attacking options, it's hard to see past the Terriers notching their third win of the campaign as they will have too much for their opponents.

Nobes' Prediction Huddersfield Town 2 Bournemouth 0