Chris Devane never planned on becoming a football manager – but at the age of 32, the Berkhamsted boss is punching up and punching hard.
In September alone, the Luton-born manager has overseen the Pitching In Southern Central club record their best ever FA Cup and FA Trophy runs.
This included a sensational 2-0 home win over National League South side Concord Rangers, a stellar performance that saw them nominated for the Pitching In Southern League Team of the Week.
The Hertfordshire club were huge underdogs for the clash, but produced a sensational performance that was built on bravery and energy.
Devane recalled: “We had a meeting with the management team on Thursday and discussed the best way to approach it.
“We said, let’s have a go at them, be really expansive, really attacking, really direct, really work hard and it paid off.
“I think even their manager said it could have been four or five. It was really dominant. So by the time full-time came, it was like an expected win.
“You can set up tactics, you can set up shapes, but I’m yet to see anything in football that can stop intensity.”
And it was that intensity that took Berkhamsted to runners-up in the Pitching In Southern Division One Central last season, before being knocked out after extra-time in their play-off semi-final.
But a decade ago, Devane could never have imagined he’d be managing a club at all, let alone achieving historic finishes in the league and FA Cup.
“I was about 23 and I suffered a double compound fracture on my left leg - tibia, fibia, ankle dislocation, basically everything apart from amputated,” said Devane.
“I was on crutches for 16 months and had six operations. Eight months later Crawley Green gave me a call and asked me if I wanted to manage their Saturday team.
“We finished seventh, their highest ever finish, after having four points at Christmas and being 16 points adrift.
“Biggleswade United called me and it just spiralled from there. It was never a plan, it was never a design, it was never an idea. I just really enjoyed it.”
Back to the present day, and Devane has faith that his players can cause an even bigger upset, when they face high-flying Banbury United in the third qualifying round on Saturday.
He added: “It’s going to be another tough day. Again, we’re not going to go there and try to defend and be negative.
“We’re going to have a go and it’s the case of live by the sword, die by the sword. We’re going to let them have it and see how we get on.
“To reach the first round would be amazing. It would change the whole club’s future.”
Ladbrokes, with the support of its owner Entain, has launched a multi-million-pound investment programme, Pitching In, designed to support and promote grassroots sports. For more details see: https://entaingroup.com/sustainability/pitching-in/
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