Boreham Wood sack head coach and re-appoint manager they parted company with in April 2024

Boreham Wood sack head coach Ross Jenkins and re-appoint manager Luke Garrard, who they parted company with in April 2024.

The club, who were last season relegated (fourth from bottom) back to the National League South, which they hadn’t been in since 2015, have have brought back Luke Garrard, just under five months after he had left.

He spent 18 years with the Wood, holding a number of roles, being named as the new boss in October 2015, and that came to an end earlier this year.

He took them to the National League playoffs three times, went on quite the run in the FA Cup, reaching the 5th Round in 2022, losing at Everton in the end.

Chairman Danny Hunter said in April that Garrard would depart the club at the end of the 2023/24 season, he brought in Ross Jenkins, who had been at Oxford City, but was also sacked with his side getting relegated, but now Jenkins has been dismissed after 121 days in charge.

They currently sit 10th with 12 points from 8 games played, winning 3, drawing 3 and losing 2. Garrard is now tasked with trying to get the club back in the National League.

Boreham Wood Football Club has today parted company with Head Coach Ross Jenkins.

We would like to thank Ross for his efforts and wish him well for the future.

🔗 https://t.co/lKKTHkqG6I#WeAreTheWood pic.twitter.com/ei6owCdgFd

— Boreham Wood FC (@BOREHAM_WOODFC) September 12, 2024

CLUB STATEMENT:

Boreham Wood Football Club can confirm that the Club has parted company with Head Coach Ross Jenkins with immediate effect.

Everyone at the Club would like to thank Ross for his efforts during his time at Meadow Park and wish him the best of luck for the future.

Boreham Wood Football Club are delighted to announce the return of Luke Garrard to Meadow Park as First Team Manager.

Luke returns to Meadow Park five months after departing the Club, having previously spent nine seasons in the hotseat and 18 total years with the Club in various capacities: player, Academy coach and Assistant Manager before taking the reins as Manager and Head of Football in October 2015.

During Luke’s first stint in charge, the Club witnessed unrivalled success on the pitch, with the Club reaching the National League play-offs three times in 2018, 2020 and 2023, including going to Wembley for the first and only time, agonisingly losing out to eventual promotion winners on each occasion to Tranmere Rovers, Harrogate Town and Notts County respectively.

Competing at the top table of Non-League football was coupled with historic runs in the Emirates FA Cup, the world’s most recognised Club cup competition. Under the COVID cloud, Wood reached the third round for the first time ever in January 2021, taking on Championship side Millwall at Meadow Park.

However, that cup record was bettered just a season later when Wood mounted a monumental cup run which culminated at Goodison Park going head-to-head with five-time FA Cup winners Everton. It was a run that captured the imagination of the nation, defeating AFC Wimbledon in the third round to set up a fourth round tie against then Championship leaders AFC Bournemouth.

𝙂𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤’𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 🎶

🪵 The club are delighted to announce the return of Luke Garrard to Meadow Park as first team manager!

Read the full article below 👇#WeAreTheWood

— Boreham Wood FC (@BOREHAM_WOODFC) September 13, 2024

With modest expectations heading to the South coast, Garrard and his team tore up the script, masterminding the greatest night in the Club’s history, as well as one of greatest FA Cup upsets in recent memory. Wood’s 1-0 victory over the Cherries saw Wood become just the tenth Non-League side to reach the FA Cup fifth round.

Just a season later, Wood reached the FA Cup third round for the third consecutive season, becoming just the third Non-League side to achieve that feat after defeating Joey Barton’s Bristol Rovers to set up a third round tie with Accrington Stanley.

Garrard takes over the team currently sat in 10th place in the National League South and will be in the dugout this weekend with a difficult FA Cup second qualifying round away to in-form league rivals Eastbourne Borough.

The Club urges the Wood Army faithful to get behind the Club, Luke and the team this weekend as we look to kick start our season following a difficult year, a poor start and an indifferent spell of results and performances of late.

Welcome back, Luke!

So what are the fans saying? This is the Twitter reaction as Boreham Wood sack head coach Ross Jenkins and re-appoint manager Luke Garrard, who they parted company with in April 2024…

@MattHuddyHudson: Baffling, agree results haven’t been great but we are mid sept. He don’t have the players for the style he wants so what do you expect. @lee_allinson next please. Don’t go back to hoof ball.

@TomgBWFC: completely wrong decision

@marcb3381: Can’t believe it yes results have not been great recently but only few months in to season. Unless something happened behind close doors

@jordi_waks: Not too sure how I feel about this, we weren’t getting the results we could, but it was a change in style to what the clubs played the last decade and it would take time. On the other hand Hunter has proved he would back a manager when needed, so do we give him benefit of doubt?

@SUniverse678: I thought you would have given Ross more time

@DZee78: I knew they’d move quicker this time if they weren’t happy. I’m not sure he had the right personality for the job.

@tom_mcconnon_: LG BLACK AND WHITE ARMY 👀👀👀

@iamkempy: Shambles, The Chairman wants to do it all

@Rocco1882: EXCUSE ME?

@charliecassen: A perfect example of ‘you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone’.

@1980sSportsBlog: Inevitable that one day Luke would return, although I didn’t think it would be before the clocks went back! Interesting to see if he will change his style/tactics. A lot was made of the Wood playing a more attractive brand of football going forwards…

@stewpot0501: Best news this week 🤍🖤

@TomgBWFC: 1 step forward 10 steps back

@richthomo: Never go back. Look what’s going on up the road!

@MitchellGriver: Great news. A manager should be judged on win % over several seasons, not just one poor one. We were seconds away from a Wembley play-off final in 22/23, so let’s hope Luke can get us to League 2 in a couple of seasons. #WoodArmy

@ScottWallace_: Hahahahahaha I can’t imagine why the love it you final boss couldn’t get another job

@_aarontoubian: I guess you really don’t know what you’ve got…. until it’s gone!

@Garysparrow88: You seriously couldn’t make it up. Found it strange letting go of Jenkins who didn’t have a bad start. Guess you never know what you got till it’s gone. But sometimes second time around doesn’t always work out so we shall see. #nationalleague #nlsouth

@leewilsonDRFC: This is a very strange decision. Fair play as Garrard’s self PR is impressive. Takes a team down, announces in advance he’s leaving to get the heroic farewell, returns 12 games later after manager with an opposite style has an average start. Incredibly short term thinking from BW