John Coleman talks Ken Barlow

In 20 years as manager of Accrington, he’s called himself Ken Barlow and moved the club up four divisions – so is a tilt at the Championship next?

On Christmas Day this year, you’ll have reached 20 years in charge of Accrington Stanley, over two spells. How proud will you be?

Christmas Day? Ah, I didn’t know that! It is an achievement, not just for me but for my assistant Jimmy Bell. It’s been a match made in heaven – we left once [ to join Rochdale in 2012] and I have my regrets about that, but if I hadn’t done, I wouldn’t be the manager I am now. It gave me a new perspective. I spent a year out of football after Rochdale, which made me realise how much I needed it.

You joined Accrington in 1999, after they’d fallen to the seventh tier. Could you have imagined you’d take the club as far as League One?

No, it was just brilliant to get to the Conference. A good friend of mine who’d played for Accrington before, Paul Burns, told me the fans would come out of the woodwork if we did well – and they did, as we went from 300 to 3,000. They were desperate for success – in our first season, we were the biggest payers in the Unibond First Division and didn’t start particularly well. The pressure was intense, we were bottom four at Christmas, then went on an unbeaten run and won the league, which was unbelievable. I still class that as our best achievement.

Stanley hadn’t been in the Football League since the club went bust in 1966. Did that seem out of reach?

It was the Holy Grail – I remember our chairman Eric Whalley with tears in his eyes when we won at Woking to reach the Football League in 2006. Later on, I was in a doctor’s surgery and this old chap came up to me and said, “I’ve been waiting for this for 40- odd years.” That’s when you realise what you can do for other people.

How tough a decision was it to take the Rochdale job, after nearly 13 years in charge? You said you felt a bit like Ken Barlow – potentially spending too long at the same club...

Yeah, you felt as though if you didn’t make a break then, you were never going to progress. The club had been on its knees and I was having to tell players we were going to get paid, when I was doubting myself whether that was going to happen. Having to tell players things I didn’t believe went against what I’m about as manager – I’m about empathy and trust. The club got some compensation for me and Jimmy, which helped dramatically. I’m not saying that it saved the club, but it definitely helped.

After spells with Rochdale, Southport and Sligo, you returned to Accrington in 2014. Did it feel strange managing other clubs?

At Accrington everyone I’d brought in was going to respond to me because they’d come in to respond to me. Then all of a sudden at another club, you’re having to deal with strangers and getting them to buy into your way of thinking. That wasn’t easy, I won’t deny that. Keeping Southport up was one of our biggest achievements. They were dead and buried when we took over, then Sligo was an unbelievable experience, playing in Europe. If it hadn’t been for the pull of Accrington, I don’t think I would have left Sligo.

What is it about you and Accrington that work so well together?

It’s a special town in our hearts – I’ve lost count of the amount of weddings and funerals we’ve been to. You get to know the fans, and it becomes more like a vocation than a job. Eric Whalley was an unbelievable chairman and I didn’t think we could ever better that,

“ACCRINGTON IS SO SPECIAL. WE’VE BEEN TO MANY WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS HERE”

but Andy Holt has been absolutely fantastic for us since he came in.

In 2018, you won promotion from League Two. After play- off heartache during your first spell, did you have unfinished business?

I genuinely think we’ve got one more promotion, to the Championship, in us. If we did that it would be a fairytale, because we’ve got no right to do it. It’s not as if we’ve been bankrolled, like some non- league teams. We did have a good wage bill in the Unibond First Division, but nothing like other clubs since then. We keep defying the odds, and that’s what makes this club so special. We had a decent start this season, and we want to build on that.

You went up from League Two with Luton, Wycombe and Coventry, who all later reached the Championship...

Yeah, it can be done. They’ve all had more money to spend than us, but it’s not always about money.

How satisfying has it been to beat some bigger League One clubs, like a 7- 1 win against Bolton in 2019?

We’ve had some smashing days, but we believe we’re in League One in our own right. I don’t want to see big clubs suffer, and we’ve seen it with the likes of Ipswich, Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday being in our league – but when they play against us, they know they’re going to be in a game.

What’s the secret to the club’s nearconstant improvement under you?

I value all the players so much. Joey Barton asked for some tips when he took over at Fleetwood and I told him, “Listen, you’re only as good as your players.” You’ve got to treat them right – that’s one of our strengths – but we have brought quality in. You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

Has the key been the sheer amount of matches you watch?

I travelled three and a half hours to watch a match at Brackley recently – without putting your own eyes on it, speaking to people and spending a lot of time on it, you don’t find these little gems that you tend to unearth.

You’re still only 58. Will you stay at Accrington for the rest of your career now? How long will that be?

I’m hoping for another 10 years – I’d like to get to 1,000 league matches. I’ve got a great relationship with the chairman – I’ve spoken to him straight away about any approaches. While we’re happy with each other, I just don’t think there’s any need to change. There may be a chance to earn more money elsewhere, but happiness is a lot more valuable than money.