Lincolnshire poacher on wing and a prayer

by Phil Rostron

Last updated 12:52, Saturday, 22 March 2008

THE sight of his father’s oily overalls when they met at the factory gates determined young grammar school boy John Patrick Ward on a course of action.

John Ward

If there was one thing he was not going to do in life it was to be at the beck and call of an industrial slave-driver insistent upon clocking in and clocking out.

So, at 17, he landed a job as a representative for a wholesaler in his native Lincoln and became the envy of his friends as he ran around in a car, so rare for his age group in those days.

Yet there was another strand to his existence; the ability to do things with a football.

This had not gone unnoticed in local circles and soon he was playing as an amateur for Lincoln City reserves.

“Then I was offered a professional contract at £14-a-week,” recalls the current Carlisle United manager “and as I was earning £13-a-week with Lennon Brothers there was no decision to make!”

At the same time began a lifelong friendship and lengthy professional association with Graham Taylor, whose impact upon the English national game has been so immense.

“When I made my first team debut for Lincoln in the 1970/71 season it involved an overnight stay as we travelled to Workington,” he says. “I was sitting next to Graham, who was in the team, at dinner and I looked agog as he ordered something very impressive off the menu. I wasn’t used to that.

“It was a fairly unremarkable match which we lost 2-1, but a lad never forgets his debut.”

Throughout the next decade Ward cut a rampant figure in Lincoln colours, bagging over a century of goals in some 250 appearances.

A fine career in football was taking shape, aided by the dose of good sense that inspired Ward, now 56, to explore all the coaching avenues open to him while just 24.

Along with Taylor, Ian Branfoot and Bert Loxley he formed the Lincolnshire Coaching Association, which quickly grew to be 44-strong and wielded tremendous influence.

“The beauty of it was that we were working with people who were worth listening to with all the different views on the game. We can all kick a football, but the wonder is in the science of how we do that; the shape of the pass, the touch, the feel.

“Everyone has views and opinions and you can only benefit by listening to them as they are put into the mix.”

Ward’s playing career also involved spells with Watford, Grimsby and Workington and when he hung up his boots it was to become assistant manager to Taylor at Watford in 1982.

He then followed his pal to Aston Villa in 1987 and when, three years later, Taylor became England manager he remained at Villa for a further season under Jozef Venglos before becoming manager of York City in 1991.

He later managed both Bristol clubs, Rovers and City, and was assistant to Adrian Heath at Burnley.

In 1998 Ward became assistant manager to Colin Lee at Wolverhampton Wanderers. After Lee's departure, he had a brief spell as caretaker manager before reverting to assistant under Dave Jones. He helped the club win promotion to the Premier League in 2003 but left the club at the of the season. Ward was appointed Cheltenham Town manager in November 2003 and in 2006 guided the club to promotion into League One.

And after keeping the Robins in League One the following season, he moved to Carlisle United last October.

“Probably my only regret in the game is that Bristol City moved me out 15 games into the season after I had just got them promoted,” says Ward. “That still rankles 10 years on.”

Carlisle’s assault on the League One title this season has further enhanced Ward’s reputation as a good English manager in an era when foreign bosses are all the rage.

He has a view on this.

“Yes, football is global now and coverage of the English game is widespread thoughout the world,” he says. “But what does it do for the confidence of English coaches when our FA appoints an Italian boss who then proceeds to surround himself with five foreign backroom staff?

“I’ve no problem with an Italian managing England, but you can’t tell me there isn’t room in the set-up for more of an input from Englishmen.

“Stuart Pearce will do a good job with the Under-21s but he is just a nominal choice to pacify the detractors.

“The knock-on effect of all this is that the confidence of English coaches as a body of people is shattered.

“I’m very disappointed about that.”

CARLISLE is a new direction for a man who looks back with affection on the days when his dad bought him his first pair of football boots, St Crispin Wings, from Woolworths.

“Dad died aged just 53 when I was 18 years old - he’d been in the Tank Regiment in the war -and both mum, who’s 89 now, and I feel cheated of a lot more time that we could have spent with him.

“I think he would have been very proud of my achievements.

“I have no huge ambitions in the game. I prefer to focus on the here and now and what’s happening at the present moment in time.

“Much of that is very exciting and if we end the season being promoted it will have illustrated what I came to Carlisle for.

“I don’t see myself doing a Bobby Robson and spending my entire life in football. My wife Ali and I love travelling and one of my ambitions is for us to have a good long holiday in the month of January.”

For some years yet, there may be some fierce opposition to that plan from thousands of Carlisle fans who have taken the Lincolnshire Poacher to their hearts.