Sheffield Wednesday
'The very first letter I opened as manager of this famous club Sheffield Wednesday was a personal writ from Gillingham Football Club for walking out on my contract.
I will always maintain that one of my key signings for Sheffield Wednesday was Ian Porterfield. I last heard from him via a poignant e-mail shortly before his death in September 2007 at the age of 61.
''Hope to get home soon then decide what’s next to do. Now just too weak.
Hello to all in Sunderland love all the people there. Some of Roy’s signings look dodgy to me. We will see how they do. Good luck to him. He’ll need all the Irish.
See you Ian.''
Tony Toms suggested to me that we should take the players for one of his ‘bonding sessions’ up on the Yorkshire Moors. Remembering the success of his excursion at Hartlepool, I agreed to the suggestion, although I thought it was madness as winter was entrenched. The local and national press thought we had gone round the bend. Everyone survived – just – and we went on to beat Chester 2-0 on the Saturday to move out of the relegation zone.