First time round

[TheTownClub]

COTTERILL TAKES CHARGE

Gloucestershire Echo, 22 January 1997.

Caretaker manager Steve Cotterill was up at Whaddon Road today instructing the club’s eight youth trainees.

Cotterill said today: "I’m not celebrating being in the job. One man’s joy is another man’s misery.

"I do feel for Chris [Robinson] because he brought me back to the club but I have been assured that my presence here has nothing to do with the decision."

He added: "When I left Cheltenham before didn’t ever see myself coming back here to play let alone manage the club. I feel my future lies in football management but I didn't think it would come round this early.

"I will get together tonight with the lads and they will be the ones I will be discussing teams and formations with. There is no pressure on me actually to achieve promotion. No one can promise that."

First game
Sittingbourne 1-0 Cheltenham Town
25 January 1997, Central Park, Southern League, attendance 598.
Cheltenham Town: Ryan Gannaway, Michael Duff, Jimmy Wring, Chris Banks, Mark Freeman, Jamie Victory, Paul Chenoweth, Dean Clarke, Martin Boyle, Jimmy Smith, Bob Bloomer. Subs: Dave Parker, John Symonds, Darren Wright.

Record: W145, D83, L75 F438 A305 W%47.9

[Ralph]

That game at Sittingbourne, we got there and couldn't see a thing, it was so foggy

[TheTownClub]

"At 3pm the goalposts were not discernible" says the match report.

Lot's of "what ifs" to think about. Cotterill interviewed for the Newport AFC job in late 1996, but it didn't feel right. Signed on at Cheltenham as a player because Jason Eaton had a knee injury.