Football managers operate in a trade which is prone to immediate judgement in a society where perception trumps reality. Dynastic managers are few and far between. They are disposable commodities in a ruthless industry which hires and fires with impunity. In the 2018-19 season, 44 of the 92 managers in top four leagues lost their job. The merry-go-round was in full swing in the non-leagues, too. The Gaffer, the latest in BT Sport’s award-winning series of feature-length documentaries, offers an intimate and compelling insight into the life of five National League managers in and out of the dugout. Starring Harrogate Town’s Simon Weaver, Bromley-born Neil Smith managing his hometown club, lower league legend John Still and his mentee Hakan Hayrettin at Maidstone United, Eastleigh’s Ben Strevens in his first season as a manager, and Craig Hignett at Hartlepool United, the film provides an extraordinary fly-on-the wall account of life in charge of non-league clubs.
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