After the season we are enduring and the recent run of six consecutive defeats, the Club Chairman and Manager Luke Garrard met for supper last night and the club wishes to make this statement.
It is with deep regret, and huge sadness, that Boreham Wood Football Club can announce we will part company with our long-serving Manager Luke Garrard after our last game of this season against Ebbsfleet United on Saturday, April 20th.
Wood Chairman Danny Hunter said, “This advance announcement is made with a very heavy heart on my part, and because of Luke’s service I want his departure to be dignified, respectful and honest. That is very important because he should not be remembered for one disastrous season but for his volume of work over so many seasons.
“I remind those amongst us who think a Manager should be sacked every time a club has a bad run, that if I adopted your policy Luke would have gone many times and because I was patient and he was supported, we created magic moments, and look over the years what we’ve achieved together.”
Hunter continued, “In the fullness of time, Luke will be remembered for how he kept us up in his early managerial tenure, for the play-off wins and for the day we took our town to Wembley and came so close to the EFL.
“Trust me from there we grew as a club and we also grew our ambitions and our fan base. In truth, we’ve shared such special times with our town, like our big cup wins as underdogs when beating both Blackpool and Wimbledon. We’ve all shared those big play-off wins and experienced the pain of play-off defeats together. And who can ever forget the pride we felt walking up Wembley Way and experiencing Wembley Stadium, the home of football.
“In mine and Luke’s tenure, we’ve shared so many incredible memories with you all including beating the likes of Bournemouth and going toe to toe with Everton for 60 minutes in the 5th Round of the FA Cup. So I do not want one disastrous season to define the most successful manager in our club’s history and I felt if we did not make this announcement now, Luke would depart our club at the end of the season like a thief in the night, with no thanks, no goodbyes, and without our real fans being able to say a true thank you for his hard work, honesty, friendship and care.
“After the Southend United game, both Luke and I shared a more emotional supper than normal, but that befits our friendship, our club, our values and our relationship. For those of you who believe a club as small as Boreham Wood is only about us being in the “results business”, as if we are an Arsenal or Spurs, are you mad, our club from top to bottom is built on ‘old school’ values and we will forever be in the people business.
“As long as I’m Chairman here, we will always care passionately about our staff, our players, our supporters, our town, our wider community and especially at this moment for our departing Manager who has given this football club and me everything he has, and given you supporters such outstanding service.
“Luke and I have both recognised that April 20th, whatever the outcome of our season, is the right time for us to say our goodbyes for now… I feel for nearly a decade we had the greatest Chairman/Manager collaboration in non-league football, but both recognise this last period as one of huge regret. Time though will heal the hurt, time will allow history to show that this was the greatest decade of success both on and off the pitch that Boreham Wood Football Club has ever enjoyed.
“So sadly, as one chapter comes to an end, a new one will begin and no doubt Luke will want to say his goodbyes to each and every one of you himself and so I’ll end this press release by saying how proud I am of our supporters, our club and Luke, even in the darker moments. We are forever built on ‘old school’ values and I think values like respect, honesty and even how we deal with a painful managerial exit with dignity is so important to our clubs’ moral fabric.”
Hunter concluded, “Luke has shown all those traits and more over the years and I hope, despite the current hurt and pain we are all experiencing right now, that Luke gets the send-off from our fan base that he deserves over the next two weeks.”
OUR CLUB. OUR TOWN. OUR COMMUNITY.
