A FAMILY AFFAIR FOR ANDERSON
Curfews Gaffer going strong
LIKE FATHER, like son as the old saying goes and how Chertsey Town boss Dave Anderson knows it – he’s managed six sets!
The former AFC Wimbledon, Hendon and Harrow chief boasts a unique Non-League record that perhaps shows the power of longevity.
The latest is Mason Turner, who he’s signed at Chertsey, and is son of Mark or ‘Barney’, who played under Anderson at Hendon.
It’s a run that started with Steve Senior at North Greenford and his son Gary, now retired, was with Anderson at Northwood and Harrow.
Steve Hawkins, son of Porstmouth’s Oli who was on loan at Anderson’s Harrow from Hemel Hempstead, featured at Southall – the same club Mick Bennett was at, with his son Nick now a keeper at Chertsey. Both Steve and Mick are also on Anderson’s coaching staff at the Combined Counties Premier club.
Completing the set is Jon-Barrie Bates – Anderson’s captain at Hendon and AFC Wimbledon – whose son Jon-Jo played in Harrow’s midfield.
“I don’t even know what the sense of achievement is – but it feels like one!” Anderson, right, told The NLP. “It’s an odd one, I hadn’t even realised until I was speaking to Mason’s dad and we counted out the six sets of fathers and sons.
“I knew JB’s son when he was younger because the next door neighbours are relatives so JJ would come into the garden and kick a ball around with my son. I remember Oli Hawkins coming to games, I met Kyle Beggs when he was a real toddler and apparently I met Mason when he was four when Barney was at Hendon! It’s amazing.
“The biggest accolade I can say about the dads who played for me is, everyone in management is wary of parents, but every one of these dads went out of their way to
not talk about their sons to me. There’s a bit of class there. They understand the position.”
Wily Non-League operator Anderson retired from management in 2016 but answered an SOS in March from the Curfews, who were struggling in the CCL Premier division.
Having preserved their Step 5 status with an impressive finish to the season, Anderson found he’d got the bug back and he’s assembled a team he hopes will fare much better this time out.
“I said I’d take it until the end of the season and if I kept them up we’d then talk again,” Anderson said. “I’ve never had a relegation – I’ve been close but I’ve never had one! If we were relegated I would have walked away. But the group of players we put together very quickly did really well for us. It was nigh on two points per game and we were unbeaten in the last five games.
“It just had a real nice feel about it and I enjoyed the players because it wasn’t all about money, it was about a bit of honour and trying to keep the side in the division.
“I actually came home and said to my wife, ‘I nearly enjoyed that today!’ It was good, a nice finish to the season and it got my hunger back. I feel I’ve got that and I feel we’ve put together a reasonable squad – we’re looking forward to it.”