Brett Marshall’s 250-game milestone driven by his love for Staveley MW

Brett Marshall has been in charge at Staveley MW since 2015.

But for Staveley Miners Welfare boss Brett Marshall, reaching that milestone last weekend has merely emphasised the love and respect he has for the club, as well as its chairman Terry Damms.

Since arriving in 2015, the 52-year-old has guided Welfare to three top eight finishes in the NCEL Premier Division, and has helped oversee the recent redevelopment of the club’s facilities, including its new 3G pitch.

And Marshall, who says Staveley will be his last managerial role after 17 years (and counting) on the touchline, believes it’s a club that will continue to thrive.

He said: “I’ve got so much respect for the chairman and the work he puts in. His hard work and drive is unbelievable, as you can see with the facilities at Inkersall Road now.

"He’s straight and honest and his philosophy of how the club should operate is the same as mine – it’s not all about trophies and cup runs, you have to look at the bigger picture and have an affinity with the club rather than just wanting to reach the summit like some chairmen and managers.

"It’s the longest I’ve been at a club since my first managerial role at Southwell City back in 2004, where I had three seasons.

“Terry has supported me the whole time I’ve been here, even through one bad period where other chairmen might have moved me on, but he stuck by me and I’ll never forget that.”

Marshall said that whilst the modern game is very different to when he played and even when he started managing, he still has the same passion and zest for every match.

He added: “When I don’t have that any more is when I’ll stop. I still get butterflies before every game – when it becomes ‘just another game’ that’s when it’s over.

"It’s very different now and I think overall I’ve adapted better than I thought I would – young players are different to how they were five or ten years ago and chalk and cheese to 20 years ago.

"But I still retain a lot of my values. I’m not a manager to be all over social media either hyping myself up or making excuses when we lose. It should never be about self-importance.

"If you’re doing well, you shouldn’t have to be going on about it publicly – people will already know. If it’s not going well, don’t be on social media diluting the failure with this reason or that reason. If you’re not winning, you’re not winning.

"The culture is different but you either work with it or walk away from it, and I’m proud to have been able to do the former”

As for the future, Marshall sets no time limit as to how long he’ll continue but added: “As long as I get the effort and support the club deserves and that I feel I should be given then I’ve no reason to stop, and the chairman supports that.

“But it’s never just about me at Staveley, I’m just a fragment of a breadcrumb here as so many people play a part. Whoever takes the role on after I’ve left will be part of a superb club which is as strong as it’s ever been and will thrive for a long time.”