Harrogate Town boss Simon Weaver is the longest-serving current manager in the top four divisions - well ahead of Man City's Pep Guardiola and Arsenal's Mikel Arteta.
Harrogate Town are on the receiving end of a humiliating 9-2 defeat at Mansfield Town and long-serving manager Simon Weaver knows he is facing tough questions from fans, local media and... his dad.
Fast forward 13 years and no longer does the team coach break down , while the bus shelter that once seated fans has gone and season ticket sales have increased from just seven in 2011 to 700-plus this season. "I've never lost like that in my life," says Simon, who is the current longest-serving manager in England's top four divisions, though 11 of his 15 years in charge were outside the Football League.
When Simon took charge of Harrogate on 21 May 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo had just helped Manchester United win another Premier League title, Pep Guardiola had just completed his first season in charge of Barcelona, while Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic and Portsmouth were all Premier League clubs. What does it mean to be the current longest-serving manager in English football ahead of the likes of Guardiola , Brentford's Thomas Frank and Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, who is approaching his fifth year anniversary in charge of Arsenal?
"We were quiet for a couple of days afterwards. Simon then named the same XI four days later at Crewe and got a 0-0 draw.Manager-owner relationships can be fractious but the Weavers, including Simon's mum Dorothy, who bakes cakes for the players to eat on the journey back from away games, are a close family who have always managed to work through problems together."There's a concern when we're on a losing run. We've just been down to 20th in the table.
"I've got so much respect for dad. When I was a player, whether I was 11 years old or 29 years old, he would always encourage me after games and say 'keep at it' or 'well done'.
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