Steve Cotterill deserves fitting tribute at Cheltenham

Jon Palmer is Cheltenham reporter for Gloucestershire Live, previously the Gloucestershire Echo, having also followed Town for the former Pink 'Un and the early days of the club's website.

The journalist will be in the press box today as Shrewsbury manager Cotterill returns to Whaddon Road for a league game for the first time since he left the club following three promotions and an FA Trophy success 19 years ago.

Cotterill attended Cheltenham's FA Cup win over Gillingham on Tuesday in preparation for the clash, where he also caught with his opposite number and former defender Michael Duff, as well as many familiar faces in the Robins backroom and board staff.

In speaking to the Shropshire Star, Palmer – who can be followed online @JonPalmerSport – explained that Cotterill, 56, is No.1 in Cheltenham's history, after taking them on a highly unlikely rise from the Southern League to the Football League.

Palmer said: "It's his hometown, I genuinely think he should've been given the freedom of the town or borough, it was spoken about before.

"He will one day have a stand named after him at Cheltenham Town, that will happen when they re-build the new main stand, I think that should be named after him.

"No-one in Cheltenham has a bad word to say about him, he's the Alex Ferguson of Cheltenham Town.

"All football fans were very concerned with how unwell he was, it's been great to see him gradually get back to his old self, he looked well on Tuesday."

The journalist, who took the mantle from late Robins reporter Derek Goddard whose lengthy stint lasted some 43 years and covered the Cotterill era, added: "It's no exaggeration to say Cotterill is No.1 in Cheltenham Town's history in terms of influential characters.

"Duff is actually getting up there, almost in the top two or three now, I'd say."

Even though he departed the club he lived barely five minutes from as a child some two decades ago, Cotterill is certain to receive a heroes welcome at Whaddon Road today. Palmer feels Cheltenham fans of all generations will give their thanks.

"We've got to remember it's nearly 20 years since he (Cotterill) left. The older Cheltenham fans will never forget what he did and he will always be the No.1 legend in the club's history because when he came in they were in the Southern League Premier Division and never dreamed of getting to the Football League," he said.

"But even the younger fans will know of Steve Cotterill and hopefully will realise the only reason Cheltenham have got a Football League club is because of what he did between 1997 and 2002.

"The fans will be very much looking forward to it. I can't ever see Cotterill getting any stick, we've just had Steve Evans on the touchline with Gillingham and he got a lot of stick, but whatever happens they'll love him.

"I bet him and Duff will be at each other's throats throughout the game because that's what kind of competitive animals they are."

Duff – signed by Chris Robinson – was 'young pup' in Cotterill's experienced Robins side. The teenager became almost ever-present at right-back during that run of promotions, although Cotterill knew the future Northern Ireland international would eventually become a centre-half.

"When Cotterill took over they used to play head tennis in the car park, they had this gravely pitch, Cotterill said he saw something in Duff that he knew he had a chance, because of his will to win and how much he hated losing," said Palmer.

"Of all the people I've met in football, no exaggeration, Cotterill is the person who hates losing the most, but Duff is probably up there.

"He will be a different animal in the game on the touchline and then after he'll go back to being Michael Duff. He's ultra-ambitious, as Steve was at Cheltenham. I think Duff will go on to manage a higher level, it's a matter of time.

"It's almost like a father-son relationship they have got."