Who Was in Charge of Your Club in 1992/93 (Part Three)?

I have regularly featured former Southern Football League managers during lockdown, and these were the men in charge of the Southern Division clubs in 1992/93.

Six clubs in the Southern Division had a change of manager during the 1992/93 season.

Baldock Town had the former Arsenal winger Ian Allinson – currently managing St Albans City in the National League South – in charge until November 1992 when he was replaced by Bill Baldry, who had been coaching at South Midlands League side Arlesey Town.

Baldry played in the Football League with Cambridge United and had enjoyed a well-travelled non-League career which included spells at Barnet, St Albans, Hitchin Town, Bedford Town and Vauxhall Motors.

Dunstable replaced John Wortley during the early stages of the campaign with Steve Brinkman.

Brinkman (right) was a fine midfielder during the 80s with the likes of Barnet, Wealdstone and Maidstone United.

He then suffered two heart attacks whilst still in his twenties.

He returned to play for a while before finding it impossible to carry on at that level and took over as manager of South Midlands League side Luton Old Boys before taking the helm at Dunstable.

Sadly, after having three more heart attacks, Brinkman passed away in November 2001.

Fisher Athletic made Mick Wakefield their manager, moving Dennis Sharp `upstairs`, whilst Dennis Byatt took over from Brian Hall at Wealdstone when the administrators decided that the ex-Yeovil Town boss was too expensive to keep on.

Byatt was a member of the Stones` Conference and FA Trophy double-winning side in 1985.

Newport Isle of Wight`s long-serving manager Jock Horne decided to call it a day in November 1992 and the former Andover and Newbury Town boss Steve Mellor was appointed in his place.

Mellor, who also managed Mexborough Town in the Northern Counties East League before moving south with his job as a teacher, had been helping at Salisbury after leaving Andover.

Bury Town were having a terrible time of it in 92/93 and went through three managers.

Chris Symes was replaced early in the season by Brian Lafflin, his former assistant.

However, Lafflin`s spell was a brief one, and the Blues appointed Dale Brooks, a former player, as their new man in charge in November 1992.

Like the Midland Division at the time, the Southern section had a number of experienced former Football League players in charge of its member clubs.

Sittingbourne were managed by John Ryan, who made 504 appearances for Fulham, Luton Town, Norwich City and Sheffield United as well as having a spell in the North American Soccer League with Seattle Sounders.

Ryan (left) had also managed both Maidstone United and Cambridge United.

Brian Chambers, the player-manager of Poole Town at the time, was a former team-mate of John Ryan`s at Luton during the 1970s and went on to play 254 games with the Hatters, Sunderland< Arsenal, Millwall and Bournemouth.

Geoff Butler was one of the longest-serving managers in the league at the time and remained with Salisbury despite receiving several offers to manage other clubs.

Butler was a fine full-back who served the likes of Norwich City, Middlesbrough, Chelsea and Bournemouth and made 380 League appearances.

He was player-coach at Peterborough United before taking over at Salisbury in 1983.

At Margate, Mark Weatherly began the 92/93 season as number two to Lee Smelt.

But the former Nottingham Forest, Peterborough United, Halifax Town, Cardiff City and Exeter City goalkeeper decided to join the Police Force and found that it was impossible to combine the two tasks, so Weatherly, who played 457 times for Gillingham, took over as manager.

Keith Miller spent many years as the manager of Dorchester Town after finishing his playing career with West Ham United and Bournemouth, where he made almost 400 appearances.

He was then asked to take over at Fareham Town during the 1991/92 season, having been relieved of his duties at Dorchester.

Richie Powling (right) was a highly promising midfield player with Arsenal during the early 1970s before injury prematurely ended his full-time career after he had played 55 times for the Gunners.

After leaving Highbury in 1981, the former England Youth international played for Barnet and Grays Athletic

In 1984, he took over as manager of Eastern Counties League side Tiptree United and his record with the Jammers and briefly with rivals Harwich & Parkeston, led him to being offered the managerial post at Sudbury Town in 1991.

And he almost led the club to a second FA Vase Final (they lost to Tamworth after a replay in 1989 when an Eastern Counties League side) in 91/92 but they lost 3-1 at Guiseley in a semi-final replay.

Burnham`s Colin Barnes played non-League football for the likes of Hillingdon Borough and Barnet as well as 43 times in the Football League for Torquay United and also spent time in Australia with Adelaide City.

A number of Southern Division managers were in charge of clubs they had previously played for.

Les Hall is one such example.

Hall played for most of the senior non-League clubs in Kent and was managing one of them, Canterbury City.

Keith Baker was given the job as manager of Buckingham Town while he was still performing as their goalkeeper.

Neil Cugley, like Les Hall, is another to have done the rounds in Kent and was with one of his previous clubs, Ashford Town as player-manager.

Forward 27 years, and Cugley (left) is still going strong as manager of another of his ex-clubs, Isthmian League Premier Division outfit Folkestone Invicta!

Indeed, in the 1982/83 Southern League Premier Division season, Cugley broke Folkestone’s goalscoring record with 46 goals!

Southern League Southern Division Managers (end of 92/93 season):

Andover - Mick Burford
Ashford Town - Neil Cugley (player-manager)
Baldock Town - Bill Baldry
Braintree Town - Frank Bishop
Buckingham Town - Keith Baker (player-manager)
Burnham – Colin Barnes
Bury Town - Dale Brooks (player-manager)
Canterbury City - Les Hall
Dunstable – Steve Brinkman
Erith & Belvedere - Harry Richardson
Fareham Town - Keith Miller
Gravesend & Northfleet - Gary Aldous
Havant Town - Tony Mount
Margate - Mark Weatherly
Newport IOW - Steve Mellor
Poole Town - Brian Chambers (player-manager)
Salisbury - Geoff Butler
Sittingbourne - John Ryan
Sudbury Town - Richie Powling
Wealdstone – Dennis Byatt
Witney Town - Andy Lyne