Memo from Turner

The visit of Chesterfield is the latest return to Brisbane Road of Chris Turner, this time in the role of Chesterfield's CEO. A diminutive goalkeeper Turner defied the odds and became a reliable stopper for Sheffield Wednesday, Manchester United, Sunderland and eventually Leyton Orient. He did well in the early days of his Orient career but as age caught up with him it exposed his lack of height and he ended up more a liability than an asset. Witness his hapless performance in the 5-4 cup tie with Dagenham and Redbridge in 1992.

However he’ll always be more readily remembered for playing a supporting role in famed documentary Orient : Club for a Fiver. Turner managed to avoid the greater share of criticism for Orient’s relegation in 1994/95, mainly as a result of being viewed, through the television lens at least, as almost the sleeping partner in the joint-managerial post he shared with John Sitton. But still, with the exception of thirty odd first team games out of a total of 58 total appearances, his career at Orient wasn’t a distinguished one.

He started his solo managerial career in 1999 with Hartlepool, immediately helping Pools avoid relegation and then reaching the League Two playoffs in each of the next three seasons. He ended up leaving before achieving promotion (which Pools secured six months after his departure) to take the managers post at Sheffield Wednesday. The Owls ended up getting relegated from the Championship that season. This was followed by a 16^th place finish in League One the year after and chairman Dave Allen sacked Turner the following season with the Owls languishing in 14^th. Although Wednesday were trying to dig themselves out of a huge financial hole left after relegation from the Premiership Turner had been give £500k during the close season and paid the price for the poor results.

Turner then joined Stockport in 2004 who like Wednesday were relegated in his first season and he was relieved of the position in 2005 with County bottom of the league. Turner returned to Hartlepool as Sporting Director and helpfully kept the managerial seat warm for 2 years as caretaker manager before finally leaving the club altogether in 2010. He was rumoured to be part of a consortium headed by Dave Allen which intended to become the new owners of Sheffield Wednesday. When this was unsuccessful Allen became the majority shareholder of Chesterfield and he appointed Chris Turner as his new CEO just before Christmas. It seems a strange choice, replacing the previous CEO who was someone with no background in football, with someone with just a football background. If it was Turner’s ambition to see how football clubs are run, so badly, then he has achieved it, having managed clubs in dire financial straits a number of times. He will certainly have seen how not to do it – time will tell if he has learned the secret to success as well. At least with the Os offering cut price hospitality, he won’t have to bring his dinner.

The Os might be without inspirational skipper Stephen Dawson but they will be expected to win on Saturday. Chesterfield are rooted to the bottom of the league, 7 points adrift from safety. Only 5 of their 16 points have come on their travels, their only away win coming at Bournemouth the week after drawing 0-0 with Orient back in September. You have to fear for a side that couldn’t beat the Os at home during the first two months of this season. That draw was the start of a 4 match unbeaten run but the 3 wins in their next 3 games were to be their last until now and things are bleak in the town with the crooked spire. That run of four games saw them concede a solitary goal but as their form has dipped they have since failed to keep a clean sheet in 21 games. For the Os, boss Russell Slade has threatened changes but the size of the squad means that most players who featured in the disastrous lost at Carlisle will keep a chance to redeem themselves before Slade dips into the transfer/loan market.