BOSS GILL CELEBRATES A ROMANS LANDMARK
LONG-STANDING Jerry Gill has become only the fifth Bath City manager to take charge of 300 games.
The triple century was marked with a 2-1 midweek win over Truro on Tuesday night, clinching a fifth successive league success for the first time in his tenure.
It’s a club Gill has close ties with, having represented the Romans 218 times between 1990 and 1996.
Having later spent over a decade in the Football League, Gill returned to Twerton Park as manager in October 2017 and he earmarked the importance of stability.
“For me, chopping and changing never works,” Gill told The NLP. “I understand you have to get results – that’s what keeps you in a job.
“You want continuity – we’ve got it on the pitch and it helps if you’ve got someone at the top who’s been there a bit longer as well. I knew when I arrived that Bath don’t change managers regularly.
“We’ve finished as the highest Non-League West Country side for a few of those seasons and our attendances have shot up, we’ve gone from 600 to 1,000+.
“There’s so much in those 300 games that have gone well for the Football Club and we want to keep pushing.”
Gill, inset, is the longest serving continuous manager in National League South.
“The game is ever evolving and this league has got so much better,” he said. “It’s become a lot more tactical. It improves you as a coach, I enjoy the challenges of it on a matchday. I’m forever learning still.
“You’re also only as good as your team around you. The support staff I’ve got now are outstanding, it helps me do my job better, as does having a great group of players.
“We’re really professional in our approach on and off the pitch and it’s key to our progression.”
Having won four promotions as a player and led City the play-offs twice, Gill isn’t counting his chickens despite them sitting fifth ahead of the weekend’s fixtures with games in hand on most of their rivals.
“We won’t take anything for granted,” he warned. “Football has a habit of throwing you a curveball, we’ve just got to remember what we’ve done to get into this position. I love that there’s a real connection and buzz around the place.
“The group of players we’ve got are so hard working and tight-knit. You don’t really have to look after the dressing room that much.
“I’m very ambitious myself and want to progress as far as I can in my managerial career.
“Hopefully that’s with Bath City.”