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Ady Pennock has given more insight into the challenge he faced during his four-month spell as head coach at Gillingham.
He wants the job full-time and could find out as early as today (Monday) if Gills chairman Paul Scally thinks he is the right man to lead the club forward.
When Pennock first walked into the club, back in January, he was faced with discontent behind the scenes, but it wasn’t just the players causing him a headache.
He said: “The physio department was a disgrace, an absolute disgrace. There were so many problems in that department and people making things unbelievably awkward.”
For the first time Pennock has shed light on the off-field turmoil that led to one training session being scrapped and a home match that was also left in the balance.
He said: “One Thursday morning the physio decided to go to London without telling us. We didn’t have a physio and I had to cancel training because we would be liable if someone got injured.
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“There was a time on a Saturday morning, we had a home game, the physio rang me at 11am to say he was ill. I was then there from 11am to 1pm trying to get a physio in from a local hospital. This was on a Saturday morning."
Gillingham were facing the prospect of postponing the game had they not found cover.
Pennock also recalled the time they were training at Nottingham Forest.
"They forgot the strappings," said the head coach. "I am then knocking on the Forest physio’s door asking if we can borrow some for training.”
There was another fiasco when thousands of pounds worth of equipment was left behind in the dugout at Sheffield United.
“Those little things just add up,” said Pennock. “They mess your plans up.”
Pennock brought his own fitness coach into the club on his arrival but was unable to get the players conditioned in the time he had remaining in the season. That led to a catalogue of injuries.
But he wasn’t blaming the former management for that. He believes the players should have taken things into their own hands.
He said: “Some were saying they didn’t do enough or they had three days off a week. What a load of rubbish.
“You can’t blame the last regime for that, they are in a privileged position and they couldn’t pull the wool over my eyes on that one.
“They were unfit. It is their responsibility as professional footballers. If they aren’t fit they should do it themselves. If you are not fit you do extra, do extra running, go to the gym, but what you don’t do is blame the management.”
