Garrard set to leave after nine years
BOREHAM WOOD chairman Danny Hunter says parting company with long-standing manager Luke Garrard was done with a’very heavy heart’ as he prepares to bid farewell to the ‘most successful manager in the club’s history’.
Garrard, 38, has announced this week that he will stand down as Wood boss at the end of the season, ending a nineyear stay in the Meadow Park dugout.
His decision came after an ill-timed run of six straight defeats have left the Hertfordshire club into the National League relegation zone, just 12 months after they reached the play-off semi-finals.
Garrard will go down as one of the most decorated managers in the club’s recent history having led them to the brink of the Football League in the 2018 Promotion Final, and to the third round of the FA Cup for three seasons running.
In March 2022, he guided Wood to the fifth round of the FA Cup where they bowed out to Premier League Everton at Goodison Park.
Hunter and Garrard met just hours after Monday’s 4-2 defeat at Southend United where is was agreed the latter would step down after the final game of this season against Ebbsfleet United on April 20, irrespective of whether the club escape relegation or not.
Dignified
In a lengthy statement, Hunter told of his affection for the long-standing chief. “This advance announcement is made with a very heavy heart on my part, and because of Luke’s service I want his departure to be dignified, respectful and honest,” he said, “That is very important because he should not be remembered for one disastrous season but for his volume of work over so many seasons.
“I remind those amongst us who think a manager should be sacked every time a club has a bad run, that if I adopted your policy Luke would have gone many times and becausee I was patient and he was supported, we created magic moments, and look over the years what w
