Liam Watson: No axe to grind with Telford

And football equally throws up any number of reunions with Watson's Stalybridge Celtic hosting Rob Smith's Telford on Saturday,

The two are firm friends and have both toiled in the Bucks' hotseat, Watson delivering the club's first title for 62 years when winning National League North in 2014.

It was the promotion Smith couldn't deliver in his first spell in charge at the helm, which saw him sacked to make way for Andy Sinton.

Sinton took them up with him, Mark Cooper, Graham Hyde and John Psaras all trying and failing to keep them there in a record-breakingly bad 2012-13.

Telford turned to Watson to restore them to the top-flight and he did exactly that, cementing his status as the North's most successful manager ever with a third league title.

Eight months later, he was shown the door at the New Bucks Head, albeit nine points adrift from safety in the National League Premier.

Steve Kittrick took over and failed to beat relegation, before he was axed with just five games gone of this season.

Telford turned to Smith again, with Watson made up that one of his buddies would get the chance to finish the job in Shropshire.

The current incumbent doesn't have a magic wand - the Bucks are still bottom but are currently only three points from safety.

And Watson - not for the first time - will put friendship to one side as he looks to guide the hosts to victory. He was in the away dugout with Telford less than two years ago.

An added quirk is that, for the first time since the club reformed in 2004, two managers who Telford have sacked will put their wits against each other.

And Watson said: "I've no axe to grind with Telford and, if I'm being totally honest, I respected their decision.

"I knew it was coming, we were in trouble in the league, but we'd got to the second round of the FA Cup. If I'd had that money to spend in January, I might have been able to turn it around.

"We'd just drew at home to Chester in the FA Trophy at home and I wasn't aware action had been taken as I did my post-match interviews. I was out of a job that night.

"I always tell people that my teams come strong in the second half of the season, even when they are at the right end of the table.

"I felt I deserved more time, particularly after what I'd done for the club. At that point, the supporters were still being good to me. I've always appreciated that.

"There comes a point when you've got to stop changing managers and start to look at the bigger picture. Maybe they haven't done that.

"The one thing I will say is that I brought a lot of lads in with me from the North-West and I don't think they were ever fully accepted.

"I've been told that, if you go into the Learning Centre (club house at the New Bucks Head), there's still no picture on the wall of the season we were champions.

"That seems strange to me, but I have some good memories of the place. Even the game where he won the title, though, you wake up the next day and the hard work starts over again."

That fateful afternoon at the New Bucks Head saw Telford be crowned champions on 26 April 2014 for the first time since 1952.

A crowd of 3,724 turned up to watch the title-clinching 3-0 victory over Gainsborough Trinity with Sean Clancy - who scored the second goal - the only player still with Telford.

Pitch invasions and Watson getting drenched in champagne followed, but the Bucks faithful have had precious little to shout about since.

While he loved that experience, Watson rated the 2014 New Year's Day 5-3 win over Smith's Hednesford Town as the best day of his 19-month reign.

Adam Farrell scored the perfect hat-trick by netting with his left foot, right foot and head as Watson's side came from behind twice.

They later won 2-0 at Stalybridge, a result Watson won't want repeated this time. Ironically, he lost by the same scoreline with the Celts on his first return to the New Bucks Head last October.

He added: "That Hednesford game was the real turning point that season. It was when we started to believe we could win the league.

"Things are different now, for Telford and for Stalybridge. Let's hope we both can kick on. No one wants a relegation on their CV."