Steve Guinan started out at Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest before spells at Cambridge United, Plymouth Argyle, Shrewsbury Town, Hereford United, Cheltenham Town, Northampton Town and Forest Green Rovers. For the past four-and-a-half years he has worked for the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), combined with a Football Association role. Between trips to Russia to work at the World Cup, the Worcester-based 42-year-old spoke to Jon Palmer about his career, play-off winning strike for the Robins and what he has done since hanging up his boots...
What does your job at the PFA involve?
I am a regional coach educator. There are 12 of us around the country, working with all 92 Premier and Football League clubs and some who are in the National League. We only deliver coaching courses to PFA members. I look after Swansea, Cardiff, Newport, Swindon and Birmingham, so there is a lot of travelling up and down the country.
What is your role with the FA?
The two roles complement each other well. One of the down sides to the PFA job is not working on Saturdays. I enjoyed having them free for a little while, spending time with the family, watching Soccer Saturday with some mates and that sort of thing, but I soon started to miss that Saturday feeling. I was at St George’s Park chatting to some guys from the Talent ID department and they said there were opportunities so I went through an interview process and it went from there. At first I was doing the Under-23s down to the 21s, looking at players in the national set up and others on the 'long list'. I then had a call to ask me to do it for the seniors. So initially it was working with Sam Allardyce, briefly, and now Gareth Southgate and it's going really well.
What has working at the World Cup in Russia been like so far?
The PFA go to every major tournament, but I just missed out on Brazil in 2014. I was in France for the Euros with Mike Cook and Hope Powell, based in Lille and Lens and watching nine games in two weeks. We put together technical reports based on coaching sessions that we observed from the matches. For example, England were strong down the flanks with Kyle Walker and Danny Rose against Wales. So on the back of that if we were Wales, how would we combat that? Or if we were England how we would consolidate that strength? We then put on sessions from Level 2 to the A Licence. We looked at every game in the tournament, analysing where the final touches come from for goals, managerial behaviours and a host of other statistics. We then distribute the information to clubs, managers, academy managers and anyone else who wants it. For this World Cup, we have gone back to the FA principles of play, defending and attacking in the final third. We are doing a continental analysis, so looking at what Asian teams do compared to South Americans and what European teams do differently. I am looking after Northern Europe, so my teams are Russia, Iceland, Denmark and Sweden. I am watching all of their games through to the end of the tournament, however far they go. At the end I will be compiling technical reports and summaries of each, with footage and all singing, all dancing technology we have at our disposal. It’s really good to increase your knowledge and I have been fortunate enough to work with Wayne Rooney, John Terry and Kieron Dyer, along with other high profile players on their A Licence. I was even talking to Frank Lampard about arriving from midfield! I need to know my stuff so if you are watching the top level teams, it gives you a bit more kudos than just having played predominantly in the lower leagues. It’s a fascinating job and interesting working with people like Hope and we have varied skill sets.
The England set-up seems like a breath of fresh air, what’s it been like to be a part of?
There has been a lot of investment at St George’s Park and Gareth Southgate was the perfect fit because he knows the set-up. He’s a likeable person, who knows his stuff. In France we were staying in the same hotel and he was working for Uefa at the time. We’d be chatting in the bar using beer bottles for formations and it was fascinating to see things from his point of view. He has embraced things and being part of Euro 96 he knows what it takes. If you walk past an England player at St George's now they are always happy to chat, shake your hand and have a photo. That may not have happened in previous regimes. Looking at the tournament so far, a lot of teams have stuttered and Argentina look to be going out. With a bit of momentum, who knows how far we can go?
What is your plan for the rest of the World Cup?
Even when we are not there, we are still watching games. While there, I was based in Moscow and we all have teams to report on. I go back on July 9 to St Petersburg for one semi-final, then back to Moscow for the other semi-final, then back to St Petersburg for the third/fourth place match. Then I'll be in Moscow in preparation for the final before flying home. Whoever goes through I’ll be contributing towards reports using various apps. It’s the first time I’ve been to watch a World Cup, so it’s also something ticked off the bucket list.
How differently do you watch games now?
I am always taking notes and trying to pick things out. My lad Zac is at Cheltenham Town, going into the Under-15s and he's a centre forward like me, but I find it hard to watch him. I just want him to enjoy it, whether it’s for the Robins, or somewhere else. I try to take a step back and not analyse things too much, but if I am at any game, I find that hard.
With all the playing and coaching experience you have, do you want to give management a go?
That’s the million dollar question and I honestly don’t know. I did expect to go into management, but now I am in a role I love. I get to work with some fantastic people, from England players to scholars just out of school and I am lucky to be going to major tournaments too. I have had a couple of opportunities, but at the moment nothing has really turned my head. Until that time comes I am thoroughly happy with where I am, but I have to say I do miss the drug of first team football. I was chatting to Yatesey (Mark Yates) at the gym we go to before he took the Solihull Moors job and we were saying how we missed the emotional drama of Saturday afternoons.
Going right back to the start, what are your memories of starting out at Nottingham Forest?
I signed as an apprentice for them in 1992, having been at the club as a schoolboy from 14 and I was there with my family the year Gazza got injured against them for Tottenham in the 1991 FA Cup final. Forest had a great reputation for bringing young players through under Brian Clough. I was quite good as a schoolboy and I was interesting Aston Villa, who I supported, Man United, Spurs and others, but Forest were the only club that made me feel welcome, so I signed there. Clough’s final year when they got relegated was my first year as an apprentice and players like Roy Keane and Teddy Sheringham were there. It was great to be involved in a Premier League team along with Finners (John Finnigan) and Craig Armstrong.
What was it like being an apprentice under Brian Clough?
Well, you were petrified from the moment you walked it to the moment you left! Our digs were at the back of the ground so if you didn’t do any of your many jobs properly there would be a call at 10pm demanding that you came back to finish them off. We did everything from sweeping, painting, cleaning the toilets and washing the kit. I have some great memories of Cloughie. Some of the first year apprentices were picked to go to his house and do his garden for him, mowing his lawn and pruning his plants. As a thank you his wife Barbara would cook you breakfast at 11am. One day that stands out for me was during a time when I was injured. Clough put his hands on my shoulders and basically picked me up and said "come with me". We went in his big estate car, along with his Labrador 'Del Boy', who was licking my ears, but i was too petrified to say anything! We arrived at a shop and he told me to choose chocolates, magazines and flowers and then once I'd chosen I had to buy 30 of each, which he then gave to the players' wives as a present. When we got back he took me into his office, made me a hot chocolate and gave me a crisp £50 note as a thank you, kissed me on the cheek and told me to get out!
He was frail by then and was drinking heavily. It was a shame to see that at close quarters, but in the dressing room he still commanding utter respect. When I turned pro, Frank Clark was manager and we went back up to the Premier League. I made a few appearances for the first team, but considering I was there for eight years I didn't play much. My debut was against Wimbledon away and I then played against Spurs. I got on really well with Frank, but he went and then you have to impress another manager. We became a bit of a 'yo yo' team. I played a few games under Dave Bassett in the Championship, alongside Pierre van Hooijdonk and I was given a new two year contract, but Bassett then told me he'd been given £10million to spend so I had no chance of playing anymore really. It was then time to move on.
Do you have any outstanding memories of those Premier League days?
I remember a Stuart Pearce/Roy Keane fight in a bar at our Christmas do after a few beers. I don't think Keane took football as seriously then as he did after signing for Man United. One game that stands out was against Arsenal at Highbury (March 1997). I went on as a sub and they had players like Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp.
We were in that horrendous yellow away kit and I just remember Arsenal's communication was unbelievable, they never shut up. We lost 2-0, but I do remember beating Tony Adams in the air at the far post. The next time I tried to run past him he put his arm out and I ran straight into it. They were a team of giants and I'll never forget that experience. I had a few loan spells, including one at Halifax, where I had so many stitches from elbows and that sort of thing, but going out on loan was the best thing for me as I built valuable experiences.
You enjoyed a prolific first spell at Hereford in the Conference before joining Cheltenham Town in 2004, how did the move come about?
I remember going on trial at Hereford for two weeks, which turned into six. I was fighting for my livelihood as I had just got married that summer and I needed a job. Hereford were full-time, but I didn’t really want to drop out of the league. I signed and we lost to Aldershot in the play-offs on penalties at the end of my second season, which was my final game for them.
I captained the England C team that summer too and then John Ward came in for me and I had been aware of interest from Cheltenham through Finners. I met Wardy for a chat at a hotel in Birmingham and signed. It was an inexperienced side on the whole and it took a bit of time to bed everything down, but with some good additions we started to do well. It was usually me, Kayode (Odejayi) and Gilly (Steven Gillespie) fighting for one or two places up front, with Spence (Damian Spencer) also in the mix. Kay was all about pace and brute strength, while Gilly was clever and a natural finisher. We had a good partnership, but I liked playing with Kay. He'd stretch teams when I dropped in a bit deeper. We all got on really well as a squad and I am still in touch with a lot of the lads now. That helped us bond and I really enjoyed playing in that team.
Talk me through the play-offs, scoring in the semi-finals against Wycombe and the winner in the final against Grimsby...
At Wycombe we knew we’d be up against it as they had an experienced team, including Tommy Mooney up front. We were fairly confident in our own ability to go and at least hold our own and fight for a draw, but to win 2-1 probably exceeded our expectations. We managed to draw the second leg 0-0 despite being up against it and things flashing across the box left, right and centre. In the final Gilly missed half a chance and I had a dipping volley saved. Cainsey (Gavin Caines) nearly gave away a penalty, Grant (McCann) missed one for us and they had a few chances. There was obviously a bit of luck about the winner. I could see the far post and Kayode ready to attack it, with Ash Vincent also in there. I aimed for the far post and tried to hang it up so Kay could attack it.
They both made runs along with Brian Wilson and the keeper was rooted on his line. They were all inches away from getting a touch, but it went in. It was great to score the goal, but it was just a fantastic day all round. The evening was fairly sedate, considering. We had a few beers at the hotel and a few of the lads went out in Cardiff, but I stayed at the hotel as one of the older lads by then. I was just drained, having played on a poor pitch on a hot day. The open top bus tour was the next day and then I was straight onto my A licence at Lilleshall.
What was it like stepping up to League One?
We were up against some big budgets and there were suddenly a lot more fans in the away end. We turned Swansea City over at their place on the opening day, but we were always up against it, week after week. We managed to pick up enough points to stay up in the end, but I knew my time was running out, probably from the previous summer really. I’d had offers elsewhere, but wanted to stay and prove people wrong because I was maybe seen as a squad player after we went up and I definitely hadn’t been given much of an increase in wages. But I had faith in my own ability and I scored onr goal in the League Cup against Bristol City. I didn’t get as many chances as I’d have liked, but that’s football and I had to roll up my sleeves again. Overall I had some great experiences and lot of ups and downs during my career, but the promotion with Cheltenham is right up there in my best times.
How was your second spell at Hereford?
We were promoted to League One, finishing third and the season went okay for me. I had a few injuries, but I had a two year contract. We were then a really small fish in a big pond and we struggled. I scored twice against Cheltenham for Hereford and although I took no pleasure in scoring against Cheltenham, it was a massive relief to show I could score at that level. I also gave Higgsy (Shane Higgs) some stick that day! Martin Allen was having a bit of a dressing down with Finners outside the bar after the game and it seemed bit of a bizarre time for the club. We lost 6-1 to Bristol Rovers and I scored our goal in the 90th minute. For me it was a great relief to score and did a fist pump, pleased to get that first goal in League One. Cheltenham maybe doubted I could do it at that level, so to score 15 in a team that finished bottom proved to me I could do it given the right formation and strategy. Graham Turner resigned with a few games to do and John Trewick came in and we got on great. I was taking the reserves and John asked if I’d become his assistant and carry on playing, but he said I had to take a 60 per cent pay cut.
It would have been double the amount of work for a lot less money and I wasn’t happy with that so I tried to negotiate, but we couldn’t work it out and it ended on a bit of a sour note. I had interest from Northampton Town so I signed for them with Stuart Gray the manager. I enjoyed, playing up front with Bayo Akinfenwa, which was an experience. Stuart was under a lot pressure to win promotion and he was sacked and replaced by Ian Sampson. I was travelling over for triple sessions every day and getting back home to Worcester at 9pm so it wasn’t working out. At Christmas the following season, Finners gave me the heads up about a full-time coaching role at Hartpury College so I applied for that and got it. Northampton ripped up my contract so we parted amicably and started at Hartpury in the January. We’d played against Forest Green for Northampton in the FA Cup earlier that season and Dave Hockaday signed me on until the end of the season as they were part-time then.
How was your time at Forest Green and Hartpury?
I enjoyed the job and my body was ready for training twice a week instead of every day, but I didn’t get on well with Hockaday at all. I shared an office with him at Hartpury, but I disagreed with him on so many things. We had a stand up row in the dressing room after one of the games and he said I’d never play for him again, which suited me!
I scored five goals in 10 starts, but he still couldn’t give me a regular game and we were struggling too. Steve Burr at Kidderminster came in for me and we negotiated a deal where I only trained once a week, which fitted in well with Hartpury. The following summer I stepped up to take the seniors at Hartpury and started coaching at Kidderminster with the first team too. Jerry Gill had been running the academy, but he left and I was offered the job, with the lure of returning to full-time football to good to turn down. We had a second placed finish in the Conference, losing to Wrexham in the play-offs and we sold on the likes of Joe Lolley and Jamille Matt. The following year, Steve left the club and Andy Thorn came in, but it was always going to be tough. We beat Peterborough in the FA Cup and played Sunderland, but it wasn’t quite the same. The PFA role then came around for me and I’ve been doing that ever since.
