Boreham Wood boss Luke Garrard is aiming to make his chairman very happy by giving him a day to remember when the National League side face Bournemouth in the FA Cup fourth round.
The Wood beat AFC Wimbledon last time out to seal their first-ever appearance at this stage of the competition and were rewarded with a trip to the Vitality Stadium on Sunday evening.
Garrard, 36, was appointed as boss at Meadow Park in 2015 and has praised the relationship he has with chairman Danny Hunter.
Now he wants to give thanks to Hunter for the support he has provided both on and off the pitch, especially during the problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“This is the best group I have ever worked with and we get the fruits of our labour,” said Garrard.
“We are getting an opportunity to repay the chairman for what he did in the pandemic, paying us all 100 per cent, paying for my food shopping, who does that, what chairman does that?
“So if we can repay him with one small moment on Sunday, I will make a fat man very happy – and those are his words, not mine so I am not being disrespectful in any way, shape or form.
“Those are his words, he says ‘you make a fat man very happy’, he is unbelievable. He is unbelievable for this football club, for this town and what he has achieved.
“You can see it in me that I am desperate to give him a moment, if we can on Sunday I will be over the moon.
“He is a massive influence in my life, let alone my job. It is not a manager/chairman relationship. He is my family, I’m his family, I’ve been to funerals, he came to my mother’s funeral, my wedding, my boy’s christening.
“The endeavour to go and get another moment for him and for the football club, with this group of players…the journey back on the M3 would be very good.”
🤩 𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐅𝐀 𝐂𝐔𝐏 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊!— Boreham Wood FC (@BOREHAM_WOODFC) January 31, 2022
Standing in Boreham Wood’s way is Scott Parker’s Bournemouth, who brought in a host of new recruits during the January transfer window.
The likes of Todd Cantwell, Kieffer Moore, Nat Phillips and Freddie Woodman could all feature for the Cherries – but it is his counterpart who Garrard is relishing coming up against.
“I’m not foolish, it is David v Goliath,” added Garrard.
“It wouldn’t be as much a Goliath if they pick the team that beat Yeovil but if they pick the four players they signed on deadline day it would the biggest Goliath because the personnel they brought in was fantastic.
“He (Parker) is an unbelievable manager and I am going to ask him afterwards if I can come in for three or four days to watch him and work alongside him because what I have witnessed in my prep is outstanding.
“I think what he and his management team have done, and how they set up, is incredible and if I can take one per cent from Scott Parker, I am a better manager.”
