• Steve Cotterill

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 1:50 pm**

Set to return to Cheltenham

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 1:55 pm**

randomclaret2 wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 1:50 pm
Set to return to Cheltenham

Weird chap, good manager.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 1:57 pm**

Is he going round again?

Stoke next then us again.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 1:58 pm**

Thoughts are with Cheltenham fans

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 3:10 pm**

A bloke that was at times ridiculed by some, especially following his departure and when all appeared ‘rosey’ in the first 12 months of Coyle. However, I think Steve C is a manager, who doesn’t get anywhere near the credit he deserves.

Ok, he was quite pragmatic in his approach, but he also had his best players, namely Blake, Chaplow, Akinbiyi and Gray, sold from under his nose. He kept us in the division with a very small squad and when he had his best team available, we often competed up the near the play-off places.

He brought in some fantastic players…

Duff, Wade, Grezza, McGreal, Sinclair, Cahill etc

The nineteen match run killed him (even though we easily stayed up in the end). He deserves way more credit. A very underrated manager at that time.

Wish him nothing but the best

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 3:22 pm**

Glad to see him back. Quite frankly if it hadn't been for SC we wouldn't have been in the position we're in today. Bold statement I know. We were only going one way until he steadied the ship and it wasn't forward. Think when he came in we didn't have the makings of a starting eleven.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 3:24 pm**

I've got no problem with SC at all. It was frequently difficult to watch and he could be very spiky and prickly at times, but it can't have been easy trying to manage a squad of 15/16 players through a 50+ game season each year.

I hope he has an enjoyable time back at Cheltenham. Quite the Burnley connection there now with chairman and manager.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 4:04 pm**

Funny world is football management.

Over a decade since he had any success as a manager.

His time at Burnley has been done to death. Exactly what we needed for a year or two. Thank goodness Coyle followed.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 4:38 pm**

jdrobbo wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 3:10 pm

The nineteen match run killed him (even though we easily stayed up in the end). He deserves way more credit. A very underrated manager at that time.

I thought i'd manage to wipe this from my memory. My dad gave up his season ticket during this spell because it was some of the worst football ever seen.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 5:10 pm**

Back where he started. near home. I think he is what they need right now and he will keep them up comfortably.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 6:16 pm**

Many people dont appreciate how little money he had when he arrived. Remember once just 4 on the bench and several were youngsters who had not played first team football. I think he asked for a masseur at one point instead of an extra player, just to help keep the first 11 fit.He used an oxygen chamber at least twice to accelerate the recovery of certain first teamers His ability to bring in experienced heads like McGreal Sinclair, Carlisle, Unsworth,Gray,Harley, Wade Elliott and Danny Coyne was amazing. He also brought in some great signings who cost very little, and of course he saw the potential in Cahill before Martin O Neill realised what a gem he had at his club Villa. I will remember him fondly despite the style of play deteriorating in his latter days

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 6:24 pm**

warksclaret wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 6:16 pm
Many people dont appreciate how little money he had when he arrived. Remember once just 4 on the bench and several were youngsters who had not played first team football. I think he asked for a masseur at one point instead of an extra player, just to help keep the first 11 fit.He used an oxygen chamber at least twice to accelerate the recovery of certain first teamers His ability to bring in experienced heads like McGreal Sinclair, Carlisle, Unsworth,Gray,Harley, Wade Elliott and Danny Coyne was amazing. He also brought in some great signings who cost very little, and of course he saw the potential in Cahill before Martin O Neill realised what a gem he had at his club Villa. I will remember him fondly despite the style of play deteriorating in his latter days

Don't mean this in a sarcastic way but is there anything behind that cahill statement? Letting a player go out on loan isn't necessarily an indication a manager can't see his potential. Can be the opposite. But maybe I've missed something about the situation when we got him?

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 6:24 pm**

warksclaret wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 6:16 pm
Many people dont appreciate how little money he had when he arrived. Remember once just 4 on the bench and several were youngsters who had not played first team football. I think he asked for a masseur at one point instead of an extra player, just to help keep the first 11 fit.He used an oxygen chamber at least twice to accelerate the recovery of certain first teamers His ability to bring in experienced heads like McGreal Sinclair, Carlisle, Unsworth,Gray,Harley, Wade Elliott and Danny Coyne was amazing. He also brought in some great signings who cost very little, and of course he saw the potential in Cahill before Martin O Neill realised what a gem he had at his club Villa. I will remember him fondly despite the style of play deteriorating in his latter days

I think he also had to register his first team coach as a player if I remember rightly, Mark Yates was it?

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 6:34 pm**

willsclarets wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 6:24 pm
Don't mean this in a sarcastic way but is there anything behind that cahill statement? Letting a player go out on loan isn't necessarily an indication a manager can't see his potential. Can be the opposite. But maybe I've missed something about the situation when we got him?

Villa (not sure if it was O'Neil at this point) soon let him leave for Bolton, which was a bizarre decision at the time. He soon showed his class and went to Chelsea.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 7:08 pm**

jdrobbo wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 3:10 pm
A bloke that was at times ridiculed by some, especially following his departure and when all appeared ‘rosey’ in the first 12 months of Coyle. However, I think Steve C is a manager, who doesn’t get anywhere near the credit he deserves.

Ok, he was quite pragmatic in his approach, but he also had his best players, namely Blake, Chaplow, Akinbiyi and Gray, sold from under his nose. He kept us in the division with a very small squad and when he had his best team available, we often competed up the near the play-off places.

He brought in some fantastic players…

Duff, Wade, Grezza, McGreal, Sinclair, Cahill etc

The nineteen match run killed him (even though we easily stayed up in the end). He deserves way more credit. A very underrated manager at that time.

Wish him nothing but the best

Bloody hell John, next time you can't sleep I'll supply you some of the games here at TM. We spent one game betting on a crisp packet being blown by the wind.

But like you, I wish him nothing but the best.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 7:16 pm**

dougcollins wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 7:08 pm
Bloody hell John, next time you can't sleep I'll supply you some of the games here at TM. We spent one game betting on a crisp packet being blown by the wind.

But like you, I wish him nothing but the best.

Haha, which game was that?

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 7:17 pm**

jdrobbo wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 7:16 pm
Haha, which game was that?

It was somewhere near the end but they'd all blended into one by then!

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 7:26 pm**

He's got a tough job on his hands with Cheltenham's current predicament, but after the mainly sound job he did for us in sometimes difficult circumstances and given his illness with Covid, you would have to have a heart of stone not to wish him well.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 8:20 pm**

Funny that, I stayed in Cheltenham last Friday night, never been before, I saw the sign for the football club and thought about Cotts. Didn’t see him though but I did see Adam Henson ( Country file) in M&S.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 8:42 pm**

dougcollins wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 7:08 pm
Bloody hell John, next time you can't sleep I'll supply you some of the games here at TM. We spent one game betting on a crisp packet being blown by the wind.

But like you, I wish him nothing but the best.

Luton. So forgettable it became memorable.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 8:43 pm**

distortiondave wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 8:42 pm
Luton. So forgettable it became memorable.

Thanks.

I'd erased the actual game from my memory.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 8:46 pm**

My view of the Crucifier has actually softened over the years. He had us doing well for half a season twice, and had the rugged pulled out from under him a couple of times. But there was a mania behind those eyes that I just could not support or get behind. He wasn't one for handling stress.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 8:49 pm**

dougcollins wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 8:43 pm
Thanks.

I'd erased the actual game from my memory.

It was game 19, I think. 19 without a win, then we hammered Plymouth midweek.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 9:00 pm**

[quote=warksclaret post_id=2623806 time=1759166161 ll.
I think he asked for a masseur at one point instead of an extra player, just to help keep the first 11 fit.He used an oxygen chamber at least twice to accelerate the recovery of certain first teamers
[/quote]

The FA employed him to accelerate Beckham's recovery as we approached the World Cup.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 9:01 pm**

He did a good job, & steadied us at a very rocky time, with little in the way of cash.
And the signings he did get in, sowed seeds & played a big part in what was about to happen.
He gets nothing but my best wishes.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 9:02 pm**

distortiondave wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 8:49 pm
It was game 19, I think. 19 without a win, then we hammered Plymouth midweek.

Think we then won five of the next six games, only losing to Leeds in that run of games.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 9:07 pm**

Did well initially with the hand which he was dealt.

Coyle’s style was such a breath of fresh air at the time. Charlton (a) always sticks in my mind and being shocked at how quickly we changed style.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 9:14 pm**

dougcollins wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 7:08 pm
Bloody hell John, next time you can't sleep I'll supply you some of the games here at TM. We spent one game betting on a crisp packet being blown by the wind.

But like you, I wish him nothing but the best.

My memory was of it being a polystyrene chip tray, that was being lofted high to the roof of the North Stand as the wind whipped up. There were cheers as it got higher. I also remember watching a group of pigeons encamped in the Luton half (Cricket Field end), pecking away at the grass for what seemed like an eternity as Luton were camped in our half.

I liked Cotterill though and like others have said, he made the best out of the players we had and the lack of money (didn't he also bring Djemba Djemba in on loan?). But god, that run of 17/18 matches without a win was soul destroying

‍

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 9:31 pm**

We also had a throw-in game during that winless streak.

Every time there was a throw in a £5 note was passed to the next person down the line, and back again. When it got to half time or full time, you got to keep the fiver a la pass the parcel.

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 9:40 pm**

Fretters wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 6:34 pm
Villa (not sure if it was O'Neil at this point) soon let him leave for Bolton, which was a bizarre decision at the time. He soon showed his class and went to Chelsea.

Exactly that-convinced Martin(Oh it’s only Burnley) O Neil had no idea of how good Cahill was.Let him go to Sheffield Utd on loan then Bolton got him for peanuts

Posted: **Mon Sep 29, 2025 9:55 pm**

warksclaret wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 6:16 pm
Many people dont appreciate how little money he had when he arrived. Remember once just 4 on the bench and several were youngsters who had not played first team football. I think he asked for a masseur at one point instead of an extra player, just to help keep the first 11 fit.He used an oxygen chamber at least twice to accelerate the recovery of certain first teamers His ability to bring in experienced heads like McGreal Sinclair, Carlisle, Unsworth,Gray,Harley, Wade Elliott and Danny Coyne was amazing. He also brought in some great signings who cost very little, and of course he saw the potential in Cahill before Martin O Neill realised what a gem he had at his club Villa. I will remember him fondly despite the style of play deteriorating in his latter days
[/quot

I agree with this we didnt have a pot to **** in, he was perfect for the time.

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 10:17 am**

jdrobbo wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 29, 2025 3:10 pm
A bloke that was at times ridiculed by some, especially following his departure and when all appeared ‘rosey’ in the first 12 months of Coyle. However, I think Steve C is a manager, who doesn’t get anywhere near the credit he deserves.

Ok, he was quite pragmatic in his approach, but he also had his best players, namely Blake, Chaplow, Akinbiyi and Gray, sold from under his nose. He kept us in the division with a very small squad and when he had his best team available, we often competed up the near the play-off places.

He brought in some fantastic players…

Duff, Wade, Grezza, McGreal, Sinclair, Cahill etc

The nineteen match run killed him (even though we easily stayed up in the end). He deserves way more credit. A very underrated manager at that time.

Wish him nothing but the best

Brought good players in, finished in the bottom half regularly. The 19 game run, the 15 game run..... Reduced games to cheering on crisp packets and pigeons... don't call him Cotterill, his name is Steve..... huge ego - sitting in on his own sacking press conference.

Massively over rated because other managers did much better jobs with his players. The depressing thing is, that BYMOP is now 61, which means I mist be getting on a bit too.

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 10:25 am**

dandeclaret wrote: ↑
Tue Sep 30, 2025 10:17 am
Brought good players in, finished in the bottom half regularly. The 19 game run, the 15 game run..... Reduced games to cheering on crisp packets and pigeons... don't call him Cotterill, his name is Steve..... huge ego - sitting in on his own sacking press conference.

Massively over rated because other managers did much better jobs with his players. The depressing thing is, that BYMOP is now 61, which means I mist be getting on a bit too.

To be fair the two pigeons in the rafters of the Bob Lord during the Hull game were quite pacy...

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 10:41 am**

Cotterill certainly did well initially. Getting us midtable after inheriting a squad of 8(?) players after Stan left was pretty remarkable. He signed good players, that first summer/season especially, with McGreal, Sinclair, Duff, Hyde, Cahill, Ade all very good players for us.

He always seemed a very awkward character though. Quite difficult to fully warm to. Very spikey and threw his toys out of the pram completely after we sold Akinbiyi to Sheff Utd.

The football, save for a couple of short spells, was pretty desperate to watch and I'm still amazed he survived that 19 game winless run. He did have us flirting with the play offs a couple of times but you never really believed he was capable of pushing us along to the next level.

I didn't mind Cotterill, in the main he did a decent job for the most part, but it absolutely was time for him to go, albeit he'd probably already outstayed his welcome by then

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 10:48 am**

For all the talk of limited budgets Burnley were spending well beyond their means when Cotterill left. Wages were increasing significantly and were higher than turnover. He went down the route of signing seasoned pros which paid off in terms of quality over quantity but we weren't picking them up on the cheap.

He started off with stabilising things but I think most would agree he was here too long. We were just lucky that when he left we got Coyle in who really turned the club around and set us up for where we are now.

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 11:12 am**

It was John Haworth who placed the solid foundations in establishing the club where we are now, people underestimate the impact that 1920-1 season had in a big way.

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 11:40 am**

dandeclaret wrote: ↑
Tue Sep 30, 2025 10:17 am
Brought good players in, finished in the bottom half regularly. The 19 game run, the 15 game run..... Reduced games to cheering on crisp packets and pigeons... don't call him Cotterill, his name is Steve..... huge ego - sitting in on his own sacking press conference.

Massively over rated because other managers did much better jobs with his players. The depressing thing is, that BYMOP is now 61, which means I mist be getting on a bit too.

After some good years under Stan he presided over a joyless period of no hope. It really was a struggle following the team during his reign, in fact the only moment of excitement I can readily recall during that time was Micah Hyde’s goal at Ewood. It’s true he signed some players who went on to get us to the Premier League, but he rarely got a tune out of them. Wish him well, but his period in charge is not one I look back on with any fondness.

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 11:48 am**

His unscheduled appearance at his own sacking press conference was the perfect end for his reign.

That said, good luck to him. My mother is from Cheltenham, so I have a soft spot for them.

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 12:53 pm**

martin_p wrote: ↑
Tue Sep 30, 2025 11:40 am
After some good years under Stan he presided over a joyless period of no hope. It really was a struggle following the team during his reign, in fact the only moment of excitement I can readily recall during that time was Micah Hyde’s goal at Ewood. It’s true he signed some players who went on to get us to the Premier League, but he rarely got a tune out of them. Wish him well, but his period in charge is not one I look back on with any fondness.

I think you're looking at Stan's time through rose-tinted specs somewhat. Of his six seasons, four and a half of them were pretty miserable. We'd barely avoided relegation in the two seasons prior to Cotterill coming in.

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 1:00 pm**

Fretters wrote: ↑
Tue Sep 30, 2025 12:53 pm
I think you're looking at Stan's time through rose-tinted specs somewhat. Of his six seasons, four and a half of them were pretty miserable. We'd barely avoided relegation in the two seasons prior to Cotterill coming in.

Too late to edit - should have said three and a half.

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 1:10 pm**

Fretters wrote: ↑
Tue Sep 30, 2025 12:53 pm
We'd barely avoided relegation in the two seasons prior to Cotterill coming in.

That's slightly ott. We never really came anywhere near relegation in 02/03. We had a lot of the infamous "throw one in" games but stayed up easily despite that. The season after was definitely a struggle

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 1:16 pm**

Fretters wrote: ↑
Tue Sep 30, 2025 12:53 pm
I think you're looking at Stan's time through rose-tinted specs somewhat. Of his six seasons, four and a half of them were pretty miserable. We'd barely avoided relegation in the two seasons prior to Cotterill coming in.

I can’t do the maths of 6 years in total…. One year with a promotion, 2 years finishing 7th in the league…… leaving 4.5 years of miserable time.

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 1:32 pm**

As has already been said, SC consolidated us in the Championship during a really challenging period. He knew, and we knew, anyone worth any money was going to be sold in order to balance the books. The likes of Blake, Chaplow, Ade, Gray, Lafferty would have made a big difference to his teams. No doubt about that. The football was absolutely dire at times, but he signed some great players for us in his time. A lot have already been mentioned above, but guys like Steven Caldwell, Clarke Carlisle, Grezza, and Wade became the heart of the team under Coyle. Don't get me wrong, SC had to go when he did, but he left behind a squad that had the ability to be competitive. We were in a far better place than when he took over half a team from Stan!

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 2:19 pm**

Not enough for a team, when he arrived. Made some very good signings and built a decent team. Lost it in the end and the football was dire, so time for a refresh.

We should thank him for his service.

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 3:05 pm**

dandeclaret wrote: ↑
Tue Sep 30, 2025 1:16 pm
I can’t do the maths of 6 years in total…. One year with a promotion, 2 years finishing 7th in the league…… leaving 4.5 years of miserable time.

I corrected myself in the post below as I meant 3.5 years. The second 7th place finish was miserable after the City 5-1 defeat at the end of December. It was practically relegtion form after that.

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 4:42 pm**

Wish him the very best - and yes, I remember the 18 game run without a win but overall he did OK for us in difficult circumstances.

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 5:04 pm**

He did well for us for a few years on a small budget, but the football was hard to watch. When he finally got a bit more backing he seemed to struggle.

Oddly he did better at clubs with relatively big budgets after he left us and struggled at clubs with smaller budgets.

Cheltenham are probably the only EFL club who would want him now given his age and lack of success in the last decade.

Penny pinching Garlick and shoestring Cotterill are probably a match made in heaven.

Posted: **Tue Sep 30, 2025 5:05 pm**

I wonder if he still gets the same deals on outgoing transfers like he did here

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