Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Garforth Town manager Rob Hunter offered to resign on two separate occasions this season and being handed a 120-day ban from all football
Rob Hunter twice offered to resign as Garforth Town manager and was ready to “walk away from football” for good earlier this season after receiving a 120-day ban.
Hunter was slapped with the suspension after being charged with making physical contact with an assistant referee in the tunnel following the FA Vase defeat to Knaresborough Town in October.
The ban meant the former Glasshoughton Welfare boss was not allowed to attend matches, or even training. His loyal assistant Mark Smitheringale held the fort for 18 games while Hunter sat at home twiddling his thumbs. His first match back in the dugout was the 4-2 defeat to Thackley two weeks ago.
Hunter, who has been involved in the semi-professional game for nearly 40 years, insists the incident was a storm in the teacup and says that he has lost faith in the West Riding County FA disciplinary system.
“As a manager I wouldn’t say it is the worst season I’ve ever had, but it has been the most frustrating I’ve had,” Hunter told Non League Yorkshire.
“When the ban came in, I wanted to walk away from football. It was unfair. The way the West Riding County FA does things is ridiculous. There is no point in telling the truth because they treat you the same way if you tell the truth or tell a pack of lies.
“You tell the truth and they treat you like an absolute villain. The case would have been thrown if it had been in a court of law. There was no evidence whatsoever.
“The West Riding have no intention of listening to you. A referee or linesman puts a report in and they look at it and just throw a four-month ban out.
“I handed my resignation in to Garforth and I was saying to my family that it was me finished. I would have packed in football completely.
“(Garforth owners) Brian (Close) and Craig (Bannister) asked me to hold my decision for a month and think about so we could see if the team could get through what was going on.
“We then had an awful run of form and I offered to help the club find a new manager to take the club forward, but Craig and Brian again refused that resignation.
“You have to remember that Brian was in the corridor and saw what happened in October. That’s the reason why they have stood by me and I thank them because it has been tough.
“I felt really low in those four months. My son (Sean) was playing football and I wasn’t allowed to come and watch. Then I got told I couldn’t watch Leeds United or Harrogate Town.
“I was told I was banned from every football club and ground in the country. If I was seen or heard at a football ground I was told I would be in breach of the ban.
“I sat at phone watching Sky a lot and I was that frustrated one day I even wondered whether I was allowed to watch Sky.”
Mark Smitheringale (left) won seven, drew three and lost eight of his matches in charge of Garforth during Rob Hunter’s absence
Hunter has reserved a lot of praise for his long-term friend Smitheringale. After overcoming a tricky start to his 18 games in charge, Hunter’s number two led Garforth on a run of four wins and one draw to help push up the table.
“Everyone knows the value of people like Mark Smitheringale,” he said.
“He is one of the best coaches in Non League football. When I first got this job I tried to get him to come, but he was committed to Knaresborough for that season.
“I fought and fought to get him to Garforth. His performances and attitude during the period when he was a lonely man in the dugout, were fantastic.
“Him and (coach) Simon Swales have done the club proud because they have done it with dignity.”
The 3-1 defeat to Liversedge dented Garforth’s hopes of a top ten finish. This season has been somewhat a missed opportunity for Garforth as they have pulled off some cracking results, but surprisingly dropped points in certain fixtures.
Hunter though claims he had expected this and has already had thoughts on summer recruitment.
“I can agree with the view that we could have been looking to finish higher up when you look at the games we have dropped points in, but it is a very young team,” he said.
“It is a very naive and inexperienced team at this level. That’s the problem we have had all year.
“We have performed in the big games. We beat Worksop twice, beat Pontefract, drawn with Mansfield, we have had some great performances.
“We have performed against the big teams then underperformed against the really poor teams. We have had inconsistency, but that’s what happens when you have a young team.
“They have done well though and it bodes well for next season, but there does need to be an influx of experience. I think we need at least three players down the spine of the team.”
Garforth are due to host Bottesford Town tomorrow.