Introduction
Cheltenham Town have had an all but ideal start to the 25/26 season with many issues stemming both on and off the pitch. Any poor start to a season often results in the manager taking the brunt of the criticism but that blame does not solely start and end with the manager.
Gary Johnson is a man who should be etched into the halls of Cheltenham folklore but his story with the Robins is far from a simple one. A man, who ten years ago, saved the Robins from National League limbo. Fast forward to present day, fans were calling for him to resign as Director of Football just two years after he was appointed but one big question remains: how did it come to this?
Dark and Brighter Days
Cheltenham have been an established League Two club for over a decade but that would soon change in the 2014/15 season. After poor results, several managerial changes and a poor transfer window, Cheltenham Town would not escape the drop and slipped out of League Two for the first time since their promotion in 1999.
Gary Johnson was appointed just before the end of the 14/15 season with the objective clear, turn the Robins fortunes around and challenge for the National League title next season. Gary Johnson would do just that, his first proper stint saw Cheltenham Town finish top of the National League at the first time of asking with essentially a complete squad rebuild – reaching 101 points.
An achievement that would cement his legacy in the history books of Cheltenham Town FC for years to come. The seasons that followed however, were middling and perhaps signalled that he had taken the Robins as far as he could, with Johnson unable to finish the season higher than 15th place. Two poor seasons were enough for Cheltenham to pull the trigger and announce the sacking of Gary Johnson in 2018.
The Here and Now
Six years later and Gary Johnson would be appointed as Director of Football (DoF) of Cheltenham Town; a decision that took most by surprise. After Town’s relegation from League One, the club were without a manager and the announcement of Gary Johnson as DoF worried fans that the appointment could turn into a manager role overtime. The club assured fans that Johnson would only be seen as a DoF for the club, with him not being considered in a managerial capacity.
On paper, this move did make some sense given Johnson’s time working in the beautiful game. One would assume his contacts book would be plentiful and would allow Cheltenham to bring in a range of players from all over the EFL; bundled with the fact he already knows how the club operates on a day-to-day basis. The issue for many, was how things ended last time with Cheltenham and whether that would affect his working relationship with the club and the fans.
DoF Legacy
While Johnson only lasted two years in the job, it is worth analysing who he brought in and where they find themselves now to truly judge if his time was a success or not. A big criticism during his time at Whaddon Road was that he often brought in players that he had previously managed, particularly at his last job with Torquay United. Bringing in ex-players is not always as bad as it seems, after all, football is all about trust and nurturing relationships that can benefit both parties. However, this transfer policy annoyed fans and made them question whether he was up to the task.
Not including last season’s loans, Gary Johnson signed…
-Owen Evans
-Ryan Haynes
-Luke Young
-Scot Bennett
-Joe Day
-Ryan Bowman
-Harry Pell
-Darragh Power
-Harrison Sohna
-Ibrahim Bakare
-Tommy Backwell
-Ethon Archer
-George Harmon
-Arkell Jude-Boyd
-George Miller
-Liam Dulson
-Ryan Broom
-Josh Martin
-Rob Cundy
-Lee Angol
-James Wilson
-Isaac Hutchinson (Loan)
-Sam Sherring (Loan)
-Jake Bickerstaff (Loan)
-Tom Taylor (Loan)
-Jacob Mazionis (Loan)
-Taine Anderson (Loan)
Out of all these players:
11 of the players have either been a former Cheltenham player or played for a team that the current manager or DoF has managed previously.
4 of the players have been moved on already.
6 players have been injured.
2 players are already up on the transfer market.
The sheer number of players that fall into those categories are staggering and worrying for Town fans so early in the season. The number of players already injured this early begs the question why was this information about injuries not pulled up sooner? Was it desperation to get names over the line or carelessness in the finer details?
Whilst they are not down and out in the league table, it is evident as to why the Robins have had such a poor start to the season and what challenge now lies before them.
Inadequate Operations
As exclusively revealed by Gloucestershire Live’s own Jon Palmer on X, the club had been operating without a kitman with manager Michael Flynn being responsible for washing the kits. A job role which is often overlooked but is without a doubt a cornerstone of any functioning football club. A story like this should never be emerging from any club, especially not an established EFL team.
Failure to hire someone in that position is not only reckless but it is incompetent and incredibly unprofessional and lies solely on the desk of the DoF. Johnson continued to irritate fans as he appeared on the BBC Radio Goucestershire just 45 minutes after the summer window had closed, appearing to gloat about the transfer business he had made and dodging important questions sent in from fans.
To add further insult to injury, this was just the second time fans have heard from him since joining the club – two times in two years.
Conclusion
Gary Johnson would resign as Director of Football on the 17th of September, after many fan protests both during and after recent games. The club posted an announcement on X, expressing their disappointment following the news and making it public that they did not agree with this outcome.
Gary Johnson did not truly utilise his contacts book correctly, with a large group of players having already played under Johnson before. It is safe to say that the transfer business carried out by Johnson during his stay was worse than it was good.
Whatever side of the fence you sit, it is hard to escape the fact that Gary Johnson had worked wonders for Cheltenham Town Football Club. On the other hand, past achievements do not make you exempt from criticism and should not be used as a line of defence and the ire from fans were justified. Michael Flynn should not solely take the blame for Cheltenham’s poor start, and it is appearing that fans are now seeing the situation for what it truly is.
