The announcement on Friday afternoon by Boreham Wood of the return to Meadow Park for Luke Garrard was nothing short of a surprise.
After parting company with Ross Jenkins just four months into the job, Garrard is back in Hertfordshire rekindling the love he has for the Wood and entering a second spell at the club.
Having suffered a disastrous last National League campaign, the 38 year old couldn’t halt the club’s slide from being relegated into the South Division just 12 months after reaching the play-off semi-finals.
Jenkins arrived from Oxford City having guided them to promotion the year previous but lasted only eight games before chairman Danny Hunter pulled the trigger after four games without a win.
Wood are nicely placed in the National League South table three points off the play-off places after eight games but trailing early leaders Hemel Hempstead by eight points already.
Hunter would no doubt be expecting an immediate return to non-league’s top division despite the need for the club to rebuild ready to sustain itself once again at the top table.
Most expected to see an overhaul of the team in the summer but very few players left the club and the new boss was effectively playing with a majority of those signed by the previous manager.
That fits nicely for Garrard to work with a squad who largely signed by him. The familiarity should work in their favour as the new/old boss gets to work properly on Monday morning.
Many were not surprised to see the former boss of nine years return to the club where he achieved three play-off campaigns during his last tenure after news broke on Thursday of Jenkins departure.
Some will argue that the ex-Watford player wasn’t given any time at all to make an impact. A judgement after just a few games and no real chance to garner a style and make an impact at Meadow Park seems a harsh decision by Hunter to dispense with the services of the former Oxford City man.
Plenty of clubs in the South will fancy their chances of promotion, including the likes of Dorking Wanderers, Torquay Utd and their FA Cup opponents at the weekend, Garrard’s honeymoon period could be very short if they don’t get off to a strong start under the returning boss.
However, both him and Hunter know what it takes to get the club promoted but it’s clear from the opening weeks they won’t have it all their own way, just as Dorking are finding out as well.
Wood host out of form Welling Utd next weekend, Garrard’s new reign getting underway on Saturday as they dumped league rivals Eastbourne Borough out of the Emirates FA Cup whilst the Wings were on the end of an upset losing 1-0 at home to Chatham Town.
Ross Jenkins got to team playing nice football playing out from the back. The chairman was already grumbling about that at pre-season friendlies. Presumably will will return to tried and tested route 1 and defend deeper. I liked Ross but our slowish start did not help.Luke will do OK again. Loanee Junior Dixon is an outstanding striker at this level.