Gill's 44 days at Terras
By Derek Bish

Friday 12th March 2010

BRIAN Clough’s 44-day tenure at Leeds United in 1974 was so infamous and turbulent that it was eventually turned into a blockbuster movie.

Thirty-six years on, the soap opera of Weymouth FC has had a strong enough script in recent times to grace the silver screen, but the story of Jerry Gill’s 44-day reign at the Terras will probably only make it to the pages of the Press.

However, after resigning yesterday, the former Birmingham City full-back said he had no regrets at taking the job, even though it turned out to be a frustrating 44 days.

“Following recent events it has become clear to me that the job is now untenable,” he said. “Due to the pending CVA I have not been able to bring my own players to the club but have thoroughly enjoyed coaching and managing the squad of players since my arrival.”

A number of those players left after being asked to take huge pay cuts by chairman George Rolls because of a massive budget reduction and there was no guarantee regarding the club’s future, making Gill’s position a difficult one.

He said: “As the weeks have gone along, things have become tougher and tougher, especially with players having to leave, which I had no control over – it just became impossible for me to do my job.

“People will judge me but all I will say is they can’t judge me on my team because they haven’t seen my team.

“If I could have brought in five or six we might have seen a change in results.”

Although he was not able to get his own players in, Gill revealed he had formed a good relationship with those already there and had worked hard to find new clubs for the ones forced to leave by budget cuts.

“Even though they were not my players, I felt a duty to try and get them sorted out,” he said. “To a man, they have been tremendous.”

Rolls had claimed in a statement on the club’s website that budget cuts meant Gill could not afford to travel from his home in the Midlands three times a week, something Gill refuted.

“Travelling from the Midlands was not a factor in this decision,” he said. “I was spending as much time as possible in Weymouth prior to games and training, at my cost, to allow me time to prepare my team properly and professionally.”

Gill also backed the Terras to bounce back in the future and establish themselves once again.

He said: “I just hope that the club gets the chance to rebuild again under the right ownership and put it back where it firmly belongs, which should be the top of the non-League pyramid system.”

Rolls admitted that budget cuts had put pressure on Gill’s time in charge, but praised the 39-year-old’s coaching abilities.

“Jerry Gill as a person is an ultimate professional,” he commented. “Everyone who as worked with him can say what a good football coach he is.

“Unfortunately changes in circumstance meant the budget had to be cut.”

He added: “We want to save as much money between now and the end of the season so next season we can make sure we are in a position financially to support a football club.”

Meanwhile, Jordan Rose, who has joined Paulton Rovers, and Luke Benbow, who was travelling down from Birming-ham with Gill, have become the latest players to leave the Terras.