Preston North End have had some interesting characters as managers over the years. Billy Davies, Phil Brown and Darren Ferguson were divided in the football world and there were many disagreements between them.
But the manager who stands out, despite only being at the club for just over 12 months, is Graham Westley. The former Stevenage manager upset many players and fans with his unconventional methods and always made headlines for the wrong reasons.
His football was not easy on the eyes, but he was part of a difficult but necessary rebuilding process at the club that saw many senior players sacked, but not before they were separated from the rest of the team by private citizens. training for them in Rossendale.
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After leaving Preston, Westley spent two more spells at Stevenage and also managed Peterborough United, Newport County and Barnet, but was unable to replicate the success of his early career.
Westley was recently interviewed on Undr The Cosh podcast, hosted by former Preston players Chris Brown and John Parkin. The self-proclaimed medalist has plenty of stories to tell, including the nickname, but one former Preston player said he wouldn’t listen to him.
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Neil Mellor was still in Preston for the first few months of Westley’s stay and was clearly unimpressed with his methods. Commenting on X earlier on Twitter, Mellor said: “Worst manager I’ve ever met by a mile, I won’t listen.”
I doubt he’ll be left alone with these thoughts. Mellor eventually retired in May 2012 after a career-ending injury and now works as a pundit for Sky Sports. He still regularly comments on Preston and is always full of praise for the club.
Although Westley made huge changes to the playing staff, the results on the field were not good enough and when he was sacked we were just five points above the drop zone in League One. Simon Grayson was his replacement, and Westley’s many signings, including Joe Garner, John Welsh and Paul Huntington, played a key role in the team’s 2015 promotion.
The podcast is fun to listen to, but I wouldn’t say Westley disproves any rumors or preconceptions about him in any convincing way. You can certainly understand why playing under his leadership was not easy, with many strange methods.