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Luke Garrard will leave Boreham Wood a legend – even if they go down | Steven Pye

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The manager has given fans memories for life over the last nine years. Keeping them up on Saturday would be a perfect end

By Steven Pye for the Guardian Sport Network

All good things must come to an end. After nine years at the helm, Boreham Wood manager Luke Garrard takes charge of his last match for the club on Saturday. There will be a few crying eyes at Meadow Park. Hopefully there will also be tears of happiness and relief after the club’s final game of the season against Ebbsfleet. At the end of a tough campaign, the Wood face 90 crucial minutes to stay in the fifth tier. Win and they stay up. Anything else and it’s the drop.

A win would neatly bookend the reign of the man who has brought so much joy to the Hertfordshire club. When chairman Danny Hunter appointed Garrard in October 2015, the 30-year-old became the youngest manager in the top five divisions. Keeping Boreham Wood in the National League was going to be a tall order. A former Wood player, Garrard had been assistant to Ian Allinson as the club were promoted after a Conference South playoff final win over Whitehawk. The club had never played at this level before and, just to make the job a little harder, Allinson resigned a few months into the season.

Continue reading…The manager has given fans memories for life over the last nine years. Keeping them up on Saturday would be a perfect endBy Steven Pye for the Guardian Sport NetworkAll good things must come to an end. After nine years at the helm, Boreham Wood manager Luke Garrard takes charge of his last match for the club on Saturday. There will be a few crying eyes at Meadow Park. Hopefully there will also be tears of happiness and relief after the club’s final game of the season against Ebbsfleet. At the end of a tough campaign, the Wood face 90 crucial minutes to stay in the fifth tier. Win and they stay up. Anything else and it’s the drop.A win would neatly bookend the reign of the man who has brought so much joy to the Hertfordshire club. When chairman Danny Hunter appointed Garrard in October 2015, the 30-year-old became the youngest manager in the top five divisions. Keeping Boreham Wood in the National League was going to be a tall order. A former Wood player, Garrard had been assistant to Ian Allinson as the club were promoted after a Conference South playoff final win over Whitehawk. The club had never played at this level before and, just to make the job a little harder, Allinson resigned a few months into the season. Continue reading…