Britton reflects on his time with Bath
Adie Britton went into the 2010/11 season hoping for survival. He ended it as manager of the highest placed part-time side in the country.
Having led the Romans back to the Conference Premier after a 13-year absence, his target was 48 points.
The phrase ‘smashed it’ comes to mind. City exceeded that tally with nine matches remaining and not only did they avoid relegation by a hefty 19 points, they finished tenth – remarkable as one of four parttime sides in a division of 24 clubs.
A final day win over FA Trophy finalists Mansfield ten years ago tomorrow secured the Romans’ highest placing since 1993, despite an uncertain summer in 2010.
“That year I only issued seven or eight contracts when it was normally double that,” admitted Britton, who had been manager nearly two years after three as assistant under John Relish. “For the five years I’d been at the club a vast majority of players had been on contract. Going into this league I thought I’d have to use them sparingly in case I’d have to make some changes early on.
“Within two weeks of that Woking play-off game there were a lot of disappointed lads.
“In fairness, they said they’d stick with it and a lot came back on noncontract. It gave me the flexibility that I needed to sign a few other players.
“It was a different ball-game. That summer we suddenly had so many people wanting to come on trial. Instead of me chasing players, a lot of CVS were already on my desk.
“I got straight on the phone to a few guys who had experience with the league and asked about the difference between it and Conference South. I put a strategy together over a week or two.”
It included signing Scott Murray, who had spent most of his career in the Football League with over ten years at Bristol City across two spells.
“I’d completed a sponsored walk from Twerton Park to Ashton Gate for the last couple of years,” recalled Britton. “Scotty had turned up each year for Bristol City.
“I’d always asked if he was ready to go non-league but he never was. I didn’t go on the walk in the summer of 2010, someone had been ill in my family.
“Someone from the walk later got hold of me and said: ‘Scott Murray was disappointed you weren’t on the walk – he’s looking for you.’ They passed on my number and we met up. He asked if we would still like to sign him. His experience was what we needed for the league.
“He said Joe [Burnell] was interested too. We signed him and we’ve had a friendship to this day.”
Another former Robin in Alex Russell arrived in late-september which helped galvanise the Romans, who had won only one of their first 11 matches.
Current Bristol City man Marley Watkins joined on loan in the same month from Cheltenham Town.
“We turned up at Fleetwood and they were building a new £7m stand and a squad of about 30 players,” said Britton, a match City lost 2-1. “Until then our enthusiasm got us through, it hit us then that we’d have to do a bit more to stay in this league.
“I was surprised Marley was available. We knew he was one for the future and proved to be a very good signing.
“Alex agreed to stay for three months. He made his debut against Kidderminster with Adam Connolly and Marc Canham behind him and we played exceptionally well against a very good side.
“We had balance with Kaid Mohamed down the left, Marley down the right and Lee Phillips through the middle. Had we been able to keep the front six and build on it we could have gone again.”
By the turn of the year City were comfortable mid-table and picked up an eye-catching 4-0 success over Cambridge United, which Britton declared the best result of the season.
“We knew by February we were going to lose players,” he added. “By then Alex Russell had joined Yeovil. We played AFC Wimbledon and I think before the game was over Terry Brown was trying to sign Kaid. Other players became targets too.
“We were starting to play some of the best football during my time at the club. We got through that season because the players were good personalities and as professional as they could have been in a part-time game.
“By finishing the season as the best part-time side in the country the squad had reached its pinnacle.”
The team was largely broken up and the following year saw relegation confirmed with five matches remaining.
“Doing all the travelling we had to was not sustainable under a part-time basis for players or staff,” Britton summised. “Arch (Lee Howells) and I were part-time, we had no goalkeeping coach, no analyst.
“The first season was a great experience but it’s tarnished with a bit of sadness because we were not financially in the position to build on it. In fact, the opposite happened.
“The most important thing was sustaining the club afterwards after relegation, which had destroyed
some.
“It seems like the club has become a lot more professional. I chat to Jerry and Jim from time to time and know there’s a decent staff off the field.
“Hopefully they’ll get the opportunity to play at that level again and thrive on it.”