Graham Turner's name as a football manager commands respect in many corners of the world as this article, written by Graham Fisher, from the Isreal Sportingo website points out.
In 12 years Graham Turner has performed miracles in each role of manager, majority shareholder, chairman and director of football. Forget Manchester United and Chelsea, welcome to a real football club serving the community.
Hereford manager Graham Turner has deservedly been awarded the League Two Manager of the Season award, by the League Managers Association, after leading his club to promotion.
I use the phrase 'his club' advisedly because Turner is the majority shareholder, chairman, director of football and manager of Hereford United. It is difficult to think of another example of where one man has achieved so much with a football club.
This season was 60-year-old Turner’s 30th as a football manager and he has fittingly taken Hereford to their highest league position in 30 years. As a player he had a distinguished, if unspectacular career as a central defender with Wrexham, Chester and Shrewsbury. He was a well regarded player who made 650 league appearances. His leadership qualities were recognised by Shrewsbury who made him their player/manager.
Turner had six relatively successful seasons in charge at Shrewsbury before being given the manager's role at Aston Villa. That was less successful and he was sacked after two years. He took over at the then fourth division Wolverhampton Wanderers and transformed them into a mid-table Championship outfit in his eight years at the club.
For the 1995-96 season Turner was appointed manager of the financially ailing Hereford United in League Two. In his first season he remarkably took the club to the play-offs but a semi-final defeat meant that the cash strapped club were unable to keep hold of their better players. The next season saw relegation out of the football league after a 1-1 draw on the final day saw them lose out on goals scored.
At the end of that season Turner handed in his resignation but changed his mind when the fans and the club gave him overwhelming support.
In the following season Turner bought a controlling interest in the club and saved them from going out of existence. With massive financial problems Turner did a magnificent job of keeping Hereford afloat and playing in the top tier of non-league football despite having to sell any decent players and not being able to buy replacements. It is a quite remarkable statistic that in 12 years as manager of Hereford, Turner has spent just £40,000 in transfer fees. Chelsea and Manchester United take note.
With the financial situation of the club becoming increasingly desperate Turner handed over the manager's role in 2001 so that he could concentrate on trying to save the club. At the end of that season a 17th place finish in the Conference saw Turner offer his resignation, but he was again persuaded to stay.
Turner set about completely rebuilding his side with free transfers and he took the club to three consecutive second-place finishes. They missed out twice in the play-offs but on the third occasion, in 2006, he led the club back into the football league.
The first year back saw consolidation in League Two and this season promotion.
What Turner has achieved at Hereford United under extreme financial pressure both personally and professionally has to be one the most impressive success stories in English football history.
He is now the second longest serving manager in English football behind Sir Alex Ferguson.
He might not receive the plaudits and financial rewards that the Manchester United manager enjoys, but I’ll wager the fans down at Edgar Street wouldn’t want to swap managers with the Old Trafford club.
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