The last fortnight has seen the quiet resignation of Sir Clive Woodward from Southampton and his dazzling unveilment as new Director of Elite Performance for the British Athletics Association. It is a move that should have been regarded as a great loss to English football. But it won’t.

Love him or hate him, Sir Clive’s record speaks for itself. He is the only man in history to have won the Rugby World Cup with a squad from the northern hemisphere. His team was often critised for its conservative kicking game which came as a stark contrast to the fast flowing running game played by their opponents in Sydney’s Telstra Stadium - Australia. It was a style however that played to the teams strengths and reaped the rewards in dramatic style, Johnny Wilkinson memorably converting a last ditch drop goal.

Despite this unprecedented success, Woodward will be remembered within Rugby for heading a disastrous British and Irish Lions Tour to New Zealand in 2005 which was lost 3-0. His management, selections, coaching and media handling were all critised by players and commentators alike.
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Former World Cup winning England rugby union coach Sir Clive Woodward has said that he expects a long and fruitful reign from George Burley at Southampton to force him to look elsewhere to fulfil his ambitions as a football manager.

Woodward was instrumental in his role of director of football at St. Mary’s in bringing the experienced Burley into the club and says he harbours no secret wishes to oust the Scotsman from his job despite feeling restricted with his own job as administrator.

Woodward said: “I’m confident George is going to be here for a long time, and the club needs that sort of stability.

“I do want to manage a football club, but if George is successful that means I won’t get the chance here.”

The current power struggle in Saints boardroom doesn’t help Woodward’s long term plans as major new shareholder Leon Crouch has vowed to remove the director of football from his post if he gains control of the board.

Woodward’s high profile arrival at St. Mary’s hasn’t exactly went to plan so far with the club being relegated under his and Harry Redknapp’s control and then Redknapp jumping ship to return to hated rivals Portsmouth. This season in the Championship hasn’t borne much fruit either and with the sale of teenage prodigy Theo Walcott, Southampton are doing a good job of stripping their own assets and making the difficult return to the top flight a currently impossible dream. (more…)