Name: Tony Roberts
Age: 56
Role: First Team Assistant Manager
Favourite Player: My first real memories are of Pele and Bobby Moore at the 1970 World Cup but favourite all time player ever would probably have to be Lionel Messi
Supports: Aldershot with more than a soft spot for the mighty Hammers!
What is the most rewarding aspect of coaching with Godalming Town? Without a doubt it is winning 3 points from a league game and seeing the supporter’s reaction – makes it all worthwhile! Longer term, I would love to be a part of the team that helps get this football club into step 5.
What are the most important values for you as a coach and role model? In a single word – Honesty! It is critical in building trust in any successful group. If we can build a culture of complete honesty amongst the players and management group then together we can achieve so much more. After that, I believe it is really important to be constantly self-analysing whether as a player or member of the coaching staff – what went well, where can we improve etc, even when you are winning.
Playing career: As a youth player, I played up front for my school and in goal for my Sunday youth team. At 18/19 years old I had a season as a goalkeeper at Camberley Town (mainly in the reserves) and a pre-season at Farnborough in the early to mid-1980’s (I broke my thumb in a training session just before a pre-season friendly v Portsmouth and so missed out on playing a half – which still bugs me to this day!). About 10 years ago I was stood next to Ted Pearce (who was then scouting for West Ham) on a tube train to Upton park for a midweek game. I had a great chat with him about his Farnborough days and told him my broken thumb story and being released by the time I was fit again. When the train got to Upton park I went to leave and he grabbed my arm and asked me ‘’Did I get it wrong?’’ – I leant in and said ‘’no mate, you were spot on, I wasn’t confident enough as a young keeper!’’ for young goalkeepers so much is about self-belief and confidence and I didn’t have that!
Then my work career started to take off and attending training during the week became an impossibility so I reverted to Saturday and Sunday park football. I am still playing vets football today – but I have mostly reverted to playing up front again!
About me: I have spent my working life in the drinks industry and am one of the Co-Founder’s of The Borders Distillery in Hawick in the Scottish Borders. We set this company up 8 years ago and my role is to build our international distribution, which involves a lot of travelling. I am lucky enough to have lived in Paris and Miami during my career and have now visited 88 different countries and have watched professional sport in 20 of those! I am a member of the England Travel Club and regularly travel abroad to watch the national team including three different cities for the Russian World Cup. I got into coaching through watching my son in youth football and gradually helping out more and more! I am now qualified to UEFA B level but there is no greater education than actually being out on the training pitch!
