Post by Golden_Boy™ on Jan 4, 2007 11:48:20 GMT -1
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/s
By Pete Oliver
Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd
He was very popular and a bit of a comedian
Peter Ward on former team-mate Aidy Boothroyd
With his Watford side marooned at the bottom of the Premiership, manager Aidy Boothroyd might be finding laughs a little thin on the ground.
But that was not always the case according to former club colleague Peter Ward, who will be in the opposite dug-out when Watford meet Stockport County in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Ward and Boothroyd were on the staff together at Huddersfield Town when Boothroyd was just launching his career and one of his duties as an apprentice was to clean Ward's boots.
"He was very popular and a bit of a comedian," Ward told BBC Sport. "He did some very good impressions of everybody on the groundstaff.
"We played together a lot in the reserves and he was popular among the lads - even if he did always call me a bit tight when it came to Christmas!"
By the time Boothroyd had graduated to first-team football with the Terriers, Ward, seven years his senior at 42, had moved on to Rochdale.
Injury forced Boothroyd to hang up his boots at the age of 26 but his progress has been impressive since launching his coaching career with Peterborough.
Following youth-team positions at Norwich and West Brom and a spell as first-team coach at Leeds, Boothroyd joined Watford in March 2005 and in his first full season as a manager guided the Vicarage Road club to promotion to the Premiership in 2006.
Ward did not spot a budding manager in a youthful Boothroyd at Huddersfield but has not been surprised by his success.
WATFORD v STOCKPORT
1883----Formed----1881
Prem----League----League 2
Final----Cup best---5th round
18,985--Ave att----5,036
"I think coaching was forced on him a bit when he had to pack it in early but he quickly adapted to it," he said.
"I know he was very well liked at Leeds with the way he performed and it's no surprise because of the professional way he has gone about things."
Ward's own career has also taken him into coaching, although not before he had clocked up more than 450 games in a four-club playing career.
One of those clubs was Stockport, where Ward returned last Christmas as number two to former Edgeley Park team-mate Jim Gannon.
Ward is relishing the re-union with Boothroyd.
"I see a lot more of him than he does of me because he's always on the television. He's got a bit of a higher profile now!" Ward added.
"But it will be good to meet up again and it's going to be a good tactical battle.
"We have an up-and-coming manager as well so it will be interesting to see how they lock horns."
Stockport have a three-division gap to bridge if they are to pull off an upset and reach the fourth-round.
Gannon's side, 11th in League Two and with Cup successes over Exeter and Wycombe on this current run, at least has some experience of the winning feeling.
Stockport's Peter Ward and Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd
We'll still be friends with Aidy afterwards - but I'll let him pay for the drinks
Peter Ward
Watford have managed only one league win all season but Ward is keeping form in perspective.
"They are Premiership players and they are not in there because they are poor players," he said.
"They have climbed out of the Championship, but the Premiership is a different level altogether and it's hard for a club coming up to hold its own.
"They will be looking forward to it as well, as a break from the Premiership with the opportunity to relax and possibly get a win on the board."
That said, Ward and Gannon go Vicarage Road armed with the history of knowing they were both part of the County side that last knocked top-flight opposition out of the Cup with a victory over QPR in 1994.
"That was a great result. Everybody was buzzing and it was great getting to watch it on Match of the Day that night," Ward added.
"The FA Cup is something special. We are staying overnight and training somewhere in London before the game and it's something for everyone at the club to look forward to.
"We will have to be at our best and maybe catch them on a bad day but it would be great to give the fans something to cheer about. It's always nice to be successful in your league but everyone loves a Cup run.
"And whatever happens we will still be friends with Aidy afterwards. But I'll let him pay for the drinks because I'm sure he's on more money than me."
By Pete Oliver
Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd
He was very popular and a bit of a comedian
Peter Ward on former team-mate Aidy Boothroyd
With his Watford side marooned at the bottom of the Premiership, manager Aidy Boothroyd might be finding laughs a little thin on the ground.
But that was not always the case according to former club colleague Peter Ward, who will be in the opposite dug-out when Watford meet Stockport County in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Ward and Boothroyd were on the staff together at Huddersfield Town when Boothroyd was just launching his career and one of his duties as an apprentice was to clean Ward's boots.
"He was very popular and a bit of a comedian," Ward told BBC Sport. "He did some very good impressions of everybody on the groundstaff.
"We played together a lot in the reserves and he was popular among the lads - even if he did always call me a bit tight when it came to Christmas!"
By the time Boothroyd had graduated to first-team football with the Terriers, Ward, seven years his senior at 42, had moved on to Rochdale.
Injury forced Boothroyd to hang up his boots at the age of 26 but his progress has been impressive since launching his coaching career with Peterborough.
Following youth-team positions at Norwich and West Brom and a spell as first-team coach at Leeds, Boothroyd joined Watford in March 2005 and in his first full season as a manager guided the Vicarage Road club to promotion to the Premiership in 2006.
Ward did not spot a budding manager in a youthful Boothroyd at Huddersfield but has not been surprised by his success.
WATFORD v STOCKPORT
1883----Formed----1881
Prem----League----League 2
Final----Cup best---5th round
18,985--Ave att----5,036
"I think coaching was forced on him a bit when he had to pack it in early but he quickly adapted to it," he said.
"I know he was very well liked at Leeds with the way he performed and it's no surprise because of the professional way he has gone about things."
Ward's own career has also taken him into coaching, although not before he had clocked up more than 450 games in a four-club playing career.
One of those clubs was Stockport, where Ward returned last Christmas as number two to former Edgeley Park team-mate Jim Gannon.
Ward is relishing the re-union with Boothroyd.
"I see a lot more of him than he does of me because he's always on the television. He's got a bit of a higher profile now!" Ward added.
"But it will be good to meet up again and it's going to be a good tactical battle.
"We have an up-and-coming manager as well so it will be interesting to see how they lock horns."
Stockport have a three-division gap to bridge if they are to pull off an upset and reach the fourth-round.
Gannon's side, 11th in League Two and with Cup successes over Exeter and Wycombe on this current run, at least has some experience of the winning feeling.
Stockport's Peter Ward and Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd
We'll still be friends with Aidy afterwards - but I'll let him pay for the drinks
Peter Ward
Watford have managed only one league win all season but Ward is keeping form in perspective.
"They are Premiership players and they are not in there because they are poor players," he said.
"They have climbed out of the Championship, but the Premiership is a different level altogether and it's hard for a club coming up to hold its own.
"They will be looking forward to it as well, as a break from the Premiership with the opportunity to relax and possibly get a win on the board."
That said, Ward and Gannon go Vicarage Road armed with the history of knowing they were both part of the County side that last knocked top-flight opposition out of the Cup with a victory over QPR in 1994.
"That was a great result. Everybody was buzzing and it was great getting to watch it on Match of the Day that night," Ward added.
"The FA Cup is something special. We are staying overnight and training somewhere in London before the game and it's something for everyone at the club to look forward to.
"We will have to be at our best and maybe catch them on a bad day but it would be great to give the fans something to cheer about. It's always nice to be successful in your league but everyone loves a Cup run.
"And whatever happens we will still be friends with Aidy afterwards. But I'll let him pay for the drinks because I'm sure he's on more money than me."