I thought I was getting the sack! - Knill

Harford Sacked.

It was nearing 6pm a year ago on Saturday when Mick Harford was called to the board room after the Millers slumped to another home defeat, this time a 2-1 reverse to fellow strugglers Yeovil.

Harford got the sack, after just 9 months in charge of the Millers.

Knill was the next to get the call to the board room, "I thought I was getting the sack, I really did." Knill told the Star, but instead Knill was asked to take charge of the Millers for a second time.

Knill was wary, but agreed to it. "I said I'd take it for now," he told the then board, Millers05

"After my previous experience as caretaker, I was a bit wary of saying I want to be a manager. In fact, I always think I'm a reluctant manager. I like the coaching bit but my No.1 priority at the time was not to be manager. So, let's take it and see."

"Last time as caretaker manager, we lost at home to Gillingham. It was like a depression and the next day I wouldn't get out of bed. My missus had to say a few words to get me out of bed. I got up, went to a game that afternoon and it brought me round and I thought "what am I doing?"

"So, now I accept there are times you will lose. Dwell on it and it gets worse so accept it, be positive and move on. You see pressure every week because if you don't win games then you lose your job - but that's football management. You put yourself under so much pressure but you keep going. It's the nature of the job." he added.

Knill turned round a team that looked likely to be relegated without a fight into a team that stayed up, albeit with the skin of thier teeth despite one hell of a setback that emerged in Febuary. The club was on the brink of closure.

The club owed the Inland Revenue and plenty of other local businesses, the staff were'nt getting paid on time, and the Millers05 board issued a warning that if the club didnt raise £2million in six weeks, then the club would close.

However, this didnt affect Knill in his day to day work, he did manage to get Sheffield United to pay the wages of Jonathon Forte and Stephen Quinn for the duration of their stays, while the team started to pick up points and turn Millmoor into a fortress.

In the end the club was saved by a last minute package put together by Dino Maccio and Denis Coleman, however the club had to take a CVA to clear it's debts, meaning the club would be deducted 10 points as per league rules.

When should we take the penalty was the question put to Knill by the new owners. The team had a massive chance to stay up, but if they did'nt take the penalty and still got relegated, the results could have been disastrous - 10points adrift at the bottom of the entire football league, even before a ball had been kicked in anger.

Still Knill did'nt moan about events at Millmoor, "I've had so much to deal with but I think that's good though, you find out about yourself. I like adversity, I just do and I think it brings out the best in me but what's happened here in the past 12 months well, if it doesn't kill you, it's good for you." he said.

"Life just doesn't run smooth and there's always obstacles. And we've certainly had some pretty big obstacles. So, either you whinge and moan or you get over them the best you can. You might stumble but you get on and get over them. I've never grumbled about the situation - what's the point moaning? Get on with it and do your best, that's my way."

And lets be right, his way isnt too bad at the moment is it????

Well Done Alan.