Lifelong Dulwich Hamlet fan ANDY TUCKER joined the ranks of football management in the summer when he became the First Team gaffer of Banstead Athletic

Hamlet Pitchero took time out to catch up with him, to see how he was getting on, & ask him a few questions abour life at the coldest football ground in the world, that is Banstead Athletic...

Banstead Athletic used to be on an equal footing a few years ago with Dulwich Hamlet,in the Isthmian League, but are now two levels below, alongside AFC Croydon Athletic, who have risen from the ashes of another former Isthmian club.
How did you make the jump from being the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Team manager a few seasons ago to being in the hotseat of an FA Vase club?

"Um, well I did enjoy being in charge of the Supporters' Team alongside Larry Marsh. It helped that I was the Dulwich Hamlet Reserve Team Secretary six or seven years ago. I helped Michael Watson & Harry Gerber & it went from there really. I suppose I watched them, and learned & liked helping them out. When our Reserves folded I began helping out at Coney Hall FC; first with their reserves & then their first team. I then moved on to help on the coaching side at Croydon FC, at The Arena. In the summer I applied for some managers' jobs, like the new AFC Croydon Athletic, & got the position I now hold at Banstead."

You are a lifelong Hamlet fan. What previous Dulwich Hamlet managers could you possibly say you have drawn stength & experience from?

"Well I didn't really know them well, of course, as I would not yet have been an adult, when some of them were in charge. I have a soft spot for Eddie Presland, simply because he was the manager when I started supporting the Club. I always liked the exciting football under Frank Murphy, and also under Gavin Rose, now. In fact under Gavin I've seen some of the best football I've ever seen play. I'd like to think that anyone I manage would try to play in such fashion, as well as winning, which is the main objective. But altimately my main influence really was my time helping out at Champion Hill under Harry Gerber & Michael Watson."

Are you on speaking terms with Gavin?

"Yeah." (followed by a little silence)

Do the comments get better than "yeah"?

(laughs) "Yeah! I don't speak regularly, and it's usually initiated by me calling him. For example last season when Dulwich went to Horley Town in the FA Cup, I was at Croydon, & not long after they were playing us, so I gave him a call & asked him for a rundown on them"

Have you thought about asking him for 'loan' signings?

"I already have...but he never got back to me. Not this year, to be fair-this was a couple of seasons ago. Obviously any younger developing prodigies that need match experience, but aren't being blooded enough in the Reserves at Champion Hill, are more than welcome to get in touch, if Gavin reads this & agrees."

Do you have any players with Dulwich Hamlet connections?

"A couple, there's Justin Fevrier, he played a couple of First Team games, and quite a few for the Reserves.My captain is Jason Pinnock, who played for Dulwich under Gavin. And the entirity of the management team! Apart from myself, my assistant is Michael Watson, who was the Dulwich Reserve manager when I was in my last spell as reserve secretary. My coach Michael Thompson was a Reserve Team coach at Champion Hill. And the most important one of the lot, my little 'Gofer' is Hamlet fan Steve Bennett."

"Have you missed anyone out? Maybe someone you've played alongside?

"Oh, yes! Ricky Laing, the former Supporters' Team player! Bennett's boy. My first Banstead signing!"

Hypothetical I know, but if we ever played each other, how would it feel?

"It would be very odd, my precise feeling would probably depend on the competition. If, for example, it was an FA Cup fourth qualifying round match, it would be difficult to know who I would want to win. Banstead would have had to have achieved a heck of lot just to get to that stage, so the game would be their 'cup final'. It's a cliche, but I would just want Banstead to do as well as possible. Any other match, say a county cup tie, I'd go one hundred per cent Banstead, but Dulwich to win every other game they play that season. If we did ever meet it would be interesting, not least as I'd be in the dugout & I dread to think what 'The Rabble' would be like. It was bad enough when the Caldecourts,old Ian, & the youngsters Richard & Ben, were at one of our home games, back on the August Bank Holiday morning, before Dulwich played at Crawley Down Gatwick, in the afternoon, when we actually won."

Yes I do recall them talking about it at our match. They said they didn't know how you won!

"Fair comment, we weren't too hot for the final seventy minutes of that game, but in the first 20 we were, & that got us the result, which is what football is all about."

Based on the natural lesser talent of your side, as you are a Step Six side, which Hamlet player of the past would you most like to slip into your side, to bring them along?

"I'd go for someone like an Andy Fisher or Jon Daly. most of my team are quite young and the experience & natural fight of players like that would bring it up to another level. Although having said that I have spoken to Lionel Best recently, as he has a couple of players he wants to bring through,he could still do a lot more himself, he looks fit enough to dust down his boots. I also have a soft spot for an old hero of mine, Ronnie Murrock, the man who scored four goals with his head!
Another player who would be the sort to make a real difference would be someone like Stanley Muguo, who pulled on the Pink & Blue under Craig Edwards."

Supporters don't always appreciate or understand managers. Now that you are wearing their coat, so to speak, have you more sympathy for the former Hamlet duo John Ryan & Micky Brown, for example?

"No! (laughter!) You will never hear me say we are in 22nd place rather than bottom of the league! Now I think we should move on to the next question, to use a phrase of theirs when supporters used to try to talk to them about games, "this isn't the right time to talk about it!" But to finish answering your question, most supporters don't really appreciate, or are bothered about what goes on behind the scenes, and there are reasons for some decisions that supporters might not understand, as they don't know what's gone on. I'm less sypathetic for managers though who are not prepared to talk to supporters & explain things. There is always some stuff that needs to stay confidential, & you can't talk about in public, but all you have to do is apologise & go something like "Sorry I can't really say about that,it's got to stay in the changing rooms,but there are good reasons, I hope you respect that."

Going back to Banstead Athletic this season, people who've been following The Hamlet for a few years will know of them, but not so much about Division One of the Combined Counties League. Some wil have heard of the phoenix outfit AFC Croydon Athletic, and we know of South Kilburn, who shamefully knocked us out of the London Senior Cup a few seasons ago. Who are some of the other sides, & what is the standard like?

"Very mixed. Some don't even have the correct grading for the division,which seems to have become a problem for the league. Some of them have lights, all clubs are supposed to. All have some sort of stand, no matter how rudimetary. A number groundshare at higher level clubs, AFC Croydon Athletic at Croydon FC; Warlingham at Whyteleafe, Staines Lammas at Ashford Town(Middlesex). Some teams with their own grounds who you might not have heard of are the likes of CB Hounslow United & Frimley Green."

And what are the officials like? Have ever encountered Dulwich Hamlet fan Keith Slaughter at any of your matches?

"Yes, he did some Hamlet Reserve games when I was secretary. He's done a few for us. His performances have been mixed,I think is the most I can say. You never know who's going to read this, & I wouldn't want to be quoted on something that might get me in trouble with my League!"

In managerial terms you are quite young, at 33. Are you enjoying it so far, and is it what you expected?

"Yes, I am enjoying it. A lot more than I expected. What I've liked most is seeing what goes on in the training ground, being about to see tactical plans come to fruition, educating players, helping them improve their game."

So this management lark might be for you. Are you ambitious? Maybe the Champion Hill dugout one day?

"I'd love it! but we'd have to see what happens. A chap called Martin Eede started out at Worcester Park, who we play, I believe. And look where he ended up..."

So what's your behaviour like in the dugout? Are you mild mannered on the touchline, like Gavin Rose, or would you challenge Martin Eede or Craig Edwards,say, in the tantrum stakes?

"Well I'd like to think I'd never come running down the stand like Martin did once at a Reserve game, when he punched the Carshalton Athletic reserve manager Brian Baker! I think of myself as a caring, calm but authoratative manager. Though there was one occasion when I sent the water bottles flying from by the dugout when we blew a two goal lead in injury time! Generally though,I'd like to think I was more Wayne Burnett than Martin Eede, in dugout decorum! And after having said all that I've probably blown my chances of ever getting the Dulwich job in future, so I'd better concentrate on the Banstead one I've got!"

Thanks for having this interview. Good luck for the rest of the season.

"It's been a pleasure, any Hamlet fans are welcome at our games if Dulwich aren't playing."