'I feel betrayed, misled, in shock. It was a stupid thing for them to do': ANDY WOODMAN relives the moment he was 'brutally' sacked by Bromley - and how his best mate Sir Gareth Southgate helped him cope

Every sacked manager has a sob story – but few dismissals have felt as harsh as Bromley’s recent decision to part ways with Andy Woodman.

In his first interview since that decision last month, the 55-year-old tells Daily Mail Sport about feelings of 'betrayal' and 'shock' before making his pitch to future employers. But the most eye-opening part of our candid conversation comes when I ask the man with more than four decades of experience to recall the Bromley Football Club he took over in 2021.

‘Look, Bromley is your classic non-League club,’ says Woodman. ‘I mean that with the greatest respect to all non-League clubs and I hate the word “non-League” as I think it should be “League Three”, as they are all professional.

‘But the facilities are non-League, the mentality is non-League. Everything is done day-to-day, hand-to-mouth, every penny counts, every decision that costs money counts, it is run by people’s personal money.

‘It was tough when I started: we had no turnstiles, no club shop, we trained on the pitch because it was astroturf, we had no gym.’

Under chairman Robin Stanton-Gleaves, Woodman and Co, Bromley changed this mentality and shot up the pyramid, winning the FA Trophy in 2022, promotion to the Football League in 2024 and then another promotion to League One last season.

Andy Woodman was sacked as Bromley boss last month despite leading the club to the FA Trophy in 2022, promotion to the Football League in 2024 and then another promotion to League One last season

Woodman with the FA Trophy in 2022. 'Every manager who gets sacked, we all have a story of hardship to tell and all feel it is unfair,' says the former Bromley boss

Pound for pound, no club has outperformed their history, budget and expectations in English football across the last decade as much as Bromley. But after an understandably tricky start in League One – two wins from their first 10 games – Woodman was sacked.

Asked how he feels about the decision, Woodman, who used to coach in the Arsenal academy system, says: ‘Yeah, I feel betrayed. Every manager who gets sacked, we all have a story of hardship to tell and all feel it is unfair. That’s fine, I get how the football business works.

‘But the bit that didn't sit comfortably with me was the conversations I was having with people at the club or owners, everyone above me… there was no inkling of any of this. I feel misled. I was surprised.

‘One day, we were talking about plans and the way forward and how to get through this sticky little period with players out injured, then the next minute it was a change of direction. Nothing like, “Right, you’ve got three games to turn it round”, none of that, nothing.

‘My record was good there, the owner always said if anyone can churn out results it was myself. Football has no patience. In football, people always forget where they come from. I understand wanting to move forward. It’s disappointing really, that’s the best word I can use. I feel let down.

‘It was just a normal day when they told me. I was going into training, popped across to where the chairman’s office was and then was just told, “We are going to take a change of direction”. It was no more than that, I didn’t try to change the decision or ask why.

‘It was a two-minute conversation, it didn’t need more than that really. I went to tell the staff and went home! It sounds brutal and it is… I am sure people will read this and think, “You deserve this” and “You deserve that” but what else can you do? There’s no easy way of doing it.

'When you have been told you are sacked, you don’t really want to stick around and have a long conversation. They didn’t give an explanation. They needed results, they said. We lost to Leicester which was not a great result, obviously. But realistically they are Leicester… and we are Bromley.’

'It was a two-minute conversation, it didn’t need more than that really. I went to tell the staff and went home! It sounds brutal and it is'

Woodman, who used to be the Arsenal youth team goalkeeping coach, says: 'When I left Bromley that day, I just felt in shock to be really honest'

To hammer home that last point: Woodman’s first game was against Wealdstone in April 2021 in the National League at Hayes Lane. On that same weekend, Leicester were hosting soon-to-be champions Manchester City. Oh, and the Foxes won the FA Cup a month later.

‘When I left that day, I just felt in shock to be honest,’ continues Woodman. ‘I felt the next three games were winnable. I had played seven of the top 10 teams, beaten the top team Huddersfield, my goalie was just coming back from injury and some others were coming back.

‘We had two teams in the bottom four and one just outside so I felt it was my best opportunity to get some much-needed results.

‘To take someone out who has been in football 40 years and been in coaching 25 years and then to put (his former assistant) Byron Webster in charge who had just been fresh out of playing and has never done a coaching session… with every respect, it feels unfair to him. It was a stupid thing to do. I found that really strange, they took one point from those three games. It fascinates me.’

Now, with Bromley bottom of League One, Karl Robinson, the former Salford and MK Dons boss, has taken over. Woodman, though, is keen not to sound bitter and will remember his five-and-a-half years at the club with fondness. He says his best memories are taking Bromley into the Football League, playing at Newcastle in the FA Cup and beating ‘Hollywood Netflix club Wrexham’ in the FA Trophy final.

Sir Gareth Southgate remains his best friend, the pair having met as teenagers in the Crystal Palace academy. They took turns in being best man at each other’s wedding and Southgate is godfather of goalkeeper Andy’s son Freddie, who is on Liverpool’s books.

They also co-authored the 2004 book Woody and Nord which chronicles two polar opposite career paths that started at the same level, one going on to play (and later manage) England, the other a journeyman in the lower leagues.

‘Nothing surprises Gareth and I,’ adds Woodman. ‘We have been in the game for 40 years now. You can argue that in his tenure at England, he got them as high as they have ever been in 60 years and it still was not enough. So it doesn’t surprise us. People have to make decisions and they are business-related, only time will tell if it is the right decision but that’s not my problem any more.

Woodman and lifelong friend Sir Gareth Southgate at the release of their 2004 book 'Woody and Nord' which charts two very different careers in football

Southgate is godfather to Woodman's son Freddie, a goalkeeper on Liverpool's books

‘Gareth was very supportive, so was Alan Pardew and the support from the Premier League right down to the National League, there has been no end of messages I have had, which is comforting.

‘That first Saturday after being out, I didn’t want to be watching or listening to the game, I just wanted to get away because that is the worst. I have had two clubs ring me, there are ongoing conversations and I am just making sure it is the right vehicle for me. What I mean by that is I want an owner that is aligned and who thinks they can compete to get out of their league.

‘My record speaks for itself. If you ask most managers how many promotions and trophies they have won, I bet over long careers, they haven’t got many. For me, with the smallest budget in the leagues, we maximised the team and maximised success.

‘To get two promotions and an FA Trophy win against Wrexham, hitting the play-offs four times in five years, that is something I am really proud of. If nothing else, the Bromley supporters and town are grateful.’