Team managers are often regarded as football’s step-children.

Yet they perform the most important function within the structure of the team.

As much as having a good coach is crucial to the success of any team, so, too, is a competent and efficient team manager.

The manager is the organiser. The one who makes things run smoothly, so that the coach can operate properly, knowing that everything is in order. All the coaching staff has to do is coach, secure in the knowledge that the manager has sorted out everything else.

Here at Santos FC, it is no different.

And, as team manager, it is my responsibility to ensure that Major David Bright and his technical staff (assistants Jean-Marc Ithier and Salie Adams, and goalkeeper-coach Andre Bronkhorst) have nothing to worry about.

Everything is arranged. When they want something, I jump.

Flights, bus transport, catering to players’ whims and needs… in fact just about anything that concerns the success of the team, that’s my job.

And I do it with passion.

Often, team managers don’t get the spotlight, but that’s fine. That’s the manner in which we operate. We go about our work, quietly and efficiently, behind the scenes.

Behind every successful coach, there’s a supportive and influential team manager.

Looking back at the season past, for me, the Inaugural Absa Premiership was indeed a tough one. It was very exciting and kept everyone guessing to the last match to confirm “The Champions”.

For us at Santos FC it was very special indeed. Since winning the PSL Championship back in 2001/02, finishing 3rd during the 2007/08 season was remarkable, so much so that this was our best log position finish since winning the championship.

To top it all – we only lost 5 matches during our recent campaign (the least) defeats in the league and if we could only build on that, we will definitely be in for another and even more exciting campaign during 2008/09.

The players adapted positively to the new training plan and schedule of Coach Bright. The hard work paid off and, if we turn the negatives into more positives, we can add some silverware to the cabinet.

Our young players have definitely gained a vast amount of experience and will be much better “equipped” to handle the pressures on and off the field to cap them as Champions… in the near future.