From the bottom up - manager by manager part 4

Now to the promotion places in Div 2. Who made it up to the big time?

Paul Mutley Long and his son Christian. Paul's best ever season ended in promotion to Div 1 finishing 10 points above his nearest rival. Paul & his son started the season slowly but made some wholesale changes in October and this pushed them forward. By Christmas they were at the right end of the table and made 12th in January. It didn't last but they refused to budge and then had a concerted run after week 26 when Paul & son spent every week bar 3 in the promotion places.

Michael Stout is another Chicagoan (born in Burnley I believe) and he will be rather pleased with himself to be in Div 1 after an arduous season. Micahel spent every week in the top 12 peaking at 3rd in October. He spent the majority of the season in the prized places (top 8) but began to slip down the table and was then anxiously looking over his shoulder. But promotion was won, and this without making a single transfer!

Geoff McCormack was another newbie and the Aon Benfield man played the game well making all of his transfers during the season. 7th in week 16, he never got higher than that but he was always knocking on the door and spent the entire time from mid-January in the top 12. Geoff was in 8th up until the final couple of weeks but will I suspect be happy to be playing Div 1 N&R FL next season.

I met Millwall fan Andrew Shepherd in a pub by chance last summer and he has been a welcome addition to the N&R FL semi-representing N&R heroes past of Coxon and Walsh. Andy was up there all season and was as high as 4th at one stage. Unfortunately Andy was only 7 days away from collecting some cash but got knocked out of 8th place at the line. Oh well, you don't become a Millwall fan if you expect to win anything.