This week I had the pleasure of spending an hour with Joe
Skarz, virtually ever present at left back for the past three seasons and
another victim of the cash flow problems that have taken over the Shakers
season.
We started by talking through events that had led up to his
move away from Gigg on deadline day. Joe explained that he had had discussions
with Stevenage but as there was no manager in place, and
a long distance away. He didn’t fancy such a long distance move and wanted to
stay at the club to try to salvage the season. However word had gone around and
Rotherham tested the water and the move came about to
get him off the wage bill.
Talking to Joe you got a sense of the frustration with how
the season has gone at Bury FC. “Pre season was really good, everyone was
settled and we were going into it in a really positive mood wanting to improve
on what we did last year. The side was full of plenty of lads with things to
prove; Marshy, Lenny and others. We played Bradford and
battered them, then Richie left and it hit the lads really hard. We’d had every
day with him over pre season and Shirty and Futch got thrown in at the deep
end.”
The early season obviously still grates on Joe; “we had no
luck at all, Notts County
The arrival of Kevin Blackwell changed the focus of the
club, Joe explained:
“the run of 8 games showed something wasn’t working and the
gaffer tried to change it. He knew what he wanted and brought in some more
experienced players who’d been there and done it a bit. Dom Poleon did really
well, Tom Soares was a great signing, Matt Docherty is now in the Wolves team
but everything we tried to do, something else popped up to stop us. The Bournemouth
game was a killer, we’d gone on a run and the last minute goal that saved Eddie
Howe’s record for the draw stopped us from getting out of the bottom four, and
from then there was always another hurdle that stopped us doing it. There was
always something.”
I really felt for Joe, and the lads, when he tried to
express his thoughts on the latter stages of the season “I know some people
will be angry at what’s gone on, but he did his best with what he could do. Tom
Soares did everything he could to help us out. It feels like the club fought so
hard to get out of league 2 and it’s just been thrown away.”
I moved Joe onto his arrival at Gigg
Lane , Shrewsbury
“He’s the best manager I’ve played for in my career so far. He
got my career going again, I was low in confidence and my career was going downhill,
but he picked me up and got it going again. Everything he had us set up to do
was right, and worked. Some good lads brought in, people with things to prove
and the loan lads and the experienced core of Lowey, Sodje, Sweens and Schuey.
Everything about it was enjoyable, we started slowly and were mid table but
from November on we were playing teams off the park, passing them to death,
especially away. I enjoyed every minute of the first two years, it couldn’t
have been more perfect really.”
Alan Knill’s departure was obviously a blow and I was
curious how it had impacted on the team. “I was really sad, he’d brought me and
many of the lads in and first training afterwards was a shambles with Sodje,
Schuey and Lowey. We realised we’d need someone in charge quick and we’d been
told to expect to see Iain Dowey the following morning. But the experienced
lads suggested we needed some continuity and it’d be better if Richie (Barker)
did it til the end of the season keeping it going and just tinkering with a few
things.”
For some of the Shakers I mentioned at the beginning, this
was their first season supporting Bury where something positive came from it,
for others it had been 14 years since the champion team of Lucketti, Butler,
Johnson and Carter so that emotion was equally shared.
The way the side that year played and their togetherness is
a marked contrast from the revolving door of players this year. Joe waxed
lyrical about his friend Tom Lees and the part he played in that side
“He’s the best player I’ve played with for sure, the best
with everything he had. We travelled in together every day for a season and I
see him regularly still for something to eat and a catch up. Look at him now, 150 league games for Leeds by
22 and England U21 international. He’d win games for us on his own, popping up
with a header, just class. I’ve played with a few though, Peter Sweeney can
manoeuvre his way out of a situation no one else can and then pick you out on
the other wing with a 70 yard pass, Schuey, Jonah (Mike Jones), Nicky, Lowey
were all class players. If we’d been able to have kept all those players we’d
have gone up again.”
The delight in talking about this side and the players had
us both talking with beaming smiles reminiscing. “The whole side went out
after, you sometimes get players wanting to do their own thing but everyone was
there, celebrating together.”
Joe returned to the managers he’s worked for at Bury, I
asked him about the differences between them all.
“Alan Knill was a quiet guy, a lot calmer, got things set up
right and if you didn’t follow it through he’d just tell you he was
disappointed, you don’t need a DVD to know if you’ve made a mistake. He had
Brassy who would be the one to give out the bollockings or pick up everybodies
spirits if we’d lost, then Knilly would come down and it was time to work again.
Richie Barker was similar to Knilly, quite calm training was
really good and he makes it enjoyable. At times you could tell it was his first
job sometimes things would get on top of him, especially when we went on that
run (after Christmas) and people getting on his back, but I think he learned a
lot from it and made him a stronger manager and person. He lets you go out and
enjoy yourself on the pitch.
Under Kevin (Blackwell); one to one when you talk to him
he’s so knowledgeable and he likes high tempo training and wants you to work
really hard, like I do. He’s been at big clubs and has high expectations which
he’s had to pull back through no fault of his own with circumstances this year,
he came in and decided we weren’t fit enough and changed the training. I can
tell you this, Bury aren’t going down because they weren’t fit or training
hard.”
I suggested that the training may have led to some of the
injuries which have plagued the season, Joe was honest “some people need
different things, it did me no harm but others may need a rest, it may do, who
knows?” Later we mused if Kevin’s high standards would allow him to manage in
league two, and agreed that it was going to be interesting to see what happened
next.”
I suggested he was still a front runner for player of the
season, Joe laughed and told me “Schuey is player of the season, 10 goals from
midfield in a struggling side is great, a top side would take that, it’s just a
shame we could never get a striker in form to go with him and knock in the
chances we creating. We drew too many we might as well win one lose one than
all those draws, conceded as many as last year but couldn’t score enough.”
Joe’s memories from Gigg are all positive; “from the day I
joined to the day I left its all positive. There’s been some downers obviously,
losing home and away at Rochdale, that’s not good getting some Twitter abuse
etc but that’s part of it taking the lows and the highs, but then you balance
that with what happened at Chesterfield I don’t think anything will beat that,
the way it happened, and staying up the next year, first day at Huddersfield
showing we were ready for league one was brilliant. The whole three years I’ve
not a missed a game through injury, just one suspended, never missed a day
training, its just been a great experience for me. Travelling over, some of
those car shares with Leesy, then Giles (Coke), Nathan (Clarke), Grella. We had
a spell of tyre blow outs and could never change them, but good laughs too.”
Reflecting on the year he commented “I just hope Bury can
come back stronger, as long as the club is still there that’s the most
important thing. It’s been a tough year but as long as the club survives is the
main thing, doing it somehow without stretching themselves. Yes it’s league two
but it’s still a good league with a few decent grounds. The fans have been
always been brilliant with me, when I left I got lots of lovely messages on
twitter and wishing me well and sending their thanks, really touching. Its
really sad to leave but I’ve really enjoyed it.”
As we went our separate ways on the car park I reflected on
our hour, chatting about a club that we both love from different perspectives.
Mine from the fan angle of hopes and dreams for my team, Joe’s from the impact
on his career, lifelong friendships made and personal development. Thanks to Joe for his time in chatting to me,
and for his service to the club especially as part of that special 2010/11
team.
Good luck, come back soon.
