Former Gillingham managers Neil Harris and Stephen Clemence have both thrown their support behind Mark Bonner, the club’s new manager.
After being fired by the Gills in October, Harris, ironically, took Bonner’s job at Cambridge the next month and finished the season at Millwall. Gillingham fired Clemence last Monday.
The pair’s approach was well received by Gillingham’s new manager, who will be well-versed in the group of players he has taken over.
“Due to the changes that were made, there were a few iterations of the Gillingham team last year. I am scheduled to speak with Neil and Steve, both of whom contacted me and wished me well,” Bonner stated.
“It’s great that they are willing to help and support me. I can learn a lot from their experiences and use that information to try and get a sense of how things are going and where I want to take things.”
Bonner wasn’t shocked that Harris and Clemence had gotten in touch.
“It is nice, but people wouldn’t really understand,” he remarked. “Being outside of that circle of the game makes it feel like there are very few jobs and it is extremely competitive, which is why I am so proud to be here.”
“There are a lot of deserving individuals vying for a limited number of jobs, so securing one presents an incredible opportunity that requires relentless perseverance to secure and succeed in.
The friendship amongst everyone in it is just remarkable. You cannot understand how difficult it is unless you have done it.
“There is genuine empathy, which strengthens the bonds between managers.
“Everyone is aware of the cycle of the game and that sometimes you’re in it and sometimes you’re out of it, but I believe it is folly to ignore counsel and the experiences of others.
“You can choose how to handle it,”however, it is crucial to get such information, therefore I appreciated their contacting out. It seems to have a hint of class.
“I am ultimately responsible for making the decisions, so the best course of action is to heed everyone’s advice as well as mine. It will involve gathering information and making more wise choices than foolish ones.”
After spending his whole career at Championship team Millwall, Harris was able to keep the team out of relegation peril by winning five straight games and finishing in 12th place.
After deciding to take over as Gills manager on Monday and completing the necessary paperwork on Tuesday, Bonner has had quite the busy few days. He was working with the local media on Thursday, and over the next few days, he’ll keep getting to know the team.
Early next week is when the club’s retained list is anticipated to be made public.
“Obviously, a great deal of communication has gone on before me, with Joe (Managing Director) and Kenny (Director of Football), as well as players and agents,” he stated.
“I’ll talk to everyone eventually, but for now, it’s about trying to prioritise and figure out what matters most.”
The team is what matters most, so let’s see how we’re doing with retention and possible recruits. The sooner we start working on those things and the more aggressively we approach them, the better off we’ll be. That is the top priority.
