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Tommy Warrilow has praised the board at his former club Tonbridge for sticking by their managers.
Warrilow spent seven years at Longmead before stepping down in 2014 and his successor Steve McKimm is in his seventh season.
It’s the kind of stability that clubs crave and Warrilow, now in charge at Ashford, is in no doubt it’s the right way to do things.
“I had a horrendous time down there one year,” recalled Warrilow.
“We lost 4-0 at home to Cray and I was getting a bit of stick, which you accept, and I thought, ‘This could be it tonight.’
“I went and saw the board and had a chat and they went, ‘No, we don’t want you to go.’
“We moved a few players on, got a few in and ended up getting promoted that year.
“You have to look long-term. You’re going to have good times and bad times. If it was win, win, win all the time, it would be easy.
“The tough periods make you stronger as a person and as a manager.
“Football’s a business, I understand that, but sometimes the answer isn’t to throw the manager out.
"We take full responsibility for everything but the main thing we ask for is time.
“If you get that, and you lose your job, you accept it.
"I accepted my time was up at Tonbridge after we were relegated from Conference South.
"Even though they said I was the man to get them back up, I genuinely believed the club needed a change.
“You try your best but sometimes you have to be honest and say it does need a change.”
Warrilow took Tonbridge into Conference South via the Ryman Premier play-offs.
They spent three years there before relegation led to Warrilow’s resignation.
Successor McKimm has had his ups and downs, too, offering to quit before leading Tonbridge to another promotion 18 months ago.
They’re holding their own in their second year back in National South and reached the first round of the FA Cup this season for the first time since 1972.
“Macca’s had a rough ride at times but they’ve stuck by him and rightly so,” said Warrilow.
“He’s done a great job there. It’s easy to get rid of the manager and if you look at yourself in the mirror and say 'I deserve to go’ then fair enough but it’s not always the answer.
“Historically, I don’t think Tonbridge are a club who go through managers like a hot knife through butter.
"They’re honest people and they’re clever people, they sit down and thrash things out, which is the way it should be.”
Warrilow was delighted to see Tonbridge stay up last season.
That remains the goal for the 2020/21 campaign as Angels look to establish themselves at the level.
Warrilow ran into problems when he lost his best players but hopes the club can hold on to them this time.
“I was there seven years so it’s fantastic to see them back in Conference South,” said Warrilow.
“We had three great years in there but you become a picking club because you’ve got to grow off the pitch and start investing.
"If you don’t, it’s human nature your best players end up getting poached.
“We had Maidstone on the horizon and a lot of the boys ended up going there.
“It’s a massive jump from the Ryman Prem to Conference South.
“Hopefully they can sustain themselves for another year and try to push on because it's a great club and I’ve got a lot of friends down there.”
