Bobby says emotional farewell as search continues
Coach Bobby Williamson bade an emotional farewell to the club on Sunday. It was a fitting goodbye as Gor Mahia won 1-0 thanks to a high quality strike from Ugandan international Geoffrey Kizito.
And clearly Bobby has been very popular among the players. In a moving gesture, the players hoisted him to a lap of honour at the end of the match to thunderous reception from the fans.
Bobby thanked the club management and the players.
“Gor has wonderful players and I hope they go ahead to win the league because it has a good bunch of players. I thank the chairman for having faith in me and giving me this opportunity to manage the club.
“I also express my sincere gratitude to players who made extra effort to go ahead and win the game today,” .
He also said why he was unable to manage both the club and the national team.
“I don’t think I could stay any longer at Gor because I don’t want to look impartial when selecting players for the national team, I would like to concentrate on national team and hopefully develop some talent and introduce academies but we have a lot of work to do,” he declared.
“I will miss the fans that were always fantastic and crazy and I’m happy they behaved today which is a good thing because the club needs a sponsor.
“It’s been tremendous though I experienced some highs and lows but I can’t complain because that’s the experience in football,” Williamson stated in homage to the fans who gave him the rousing ‘green carpet’ send-off.
Bobby also said he was proud of his record in the Mashemeji derby despite having not won in four attempts.
“My best match in Gor was two weeks ago against Leopards when we were 2-0 down and thought the game was over but it wasn’t because we should have won that match, Sserunkuma should have been given a penalty but the referee denied us because he wanted the match to end 2-2 to avoid trouble.
“I feel disappointed I leave the club having not won any derby in four attempts but I’m happy I leave the club in good position to defend the title and everybody seems to love the way we play,” .
Williamson’s statement about the club needing a sponsor is very apt. There are reports that the club did not wear the Joma kit because they did not settle the laundry bill when the Joma kits were taken for cleaning.
Search for a new coach
Meanwhile there is no word yet on whom the new coach will be. Former player Sammy Omollo led Tusker to a league title. So he proved that with good players he can win. He later took over at SoNy before being replaced by current coach “Zico” Otieno.
Among the names that have been mentioned is current team manager Frank Ouna. According to former Kenya international, Ezekiel Akwana, Ouna would make a good replacement.
“Now that Bobby has left, I would advise the Gor management to elevate Frank Ouna to be the replacement, he told futaa.com Ouna has worked under different coaches at Gor and understands how the club has been coached in the recent past said Akwana. ”
But Ouna has no coaching experience and this is not the time for Gor Mahia to be experimenting.
Others have backed current assistant coach Bobby Ogolla to take over. But Bobby legend has still not recuperated completely. The pressure that comes with being coach might cause him to relapse.
What Gor Mahia needs now is an experienced person with established credentials.
Goodbye and good luck Bw Williamson. League wise you have left the club in good shape.
To Baba Travis
May I add my belated congratulations on your successful surgery. Good to have you back in the stadia supporting Kogalo.
All the best Bobby… I know it doesnt matter now but i dont think Harambee stars is better than club coaching… as far as am concerned Kenya national team coaching is the most unsecured job in the world… Am sure you have your reasons and i can only wish u the very best yet again
@Kibalka, Lakini tuongee ukweli. Gor Mahia and AFC job are much more insecure than Harambee Stars. You lose matches in a row and you are useless in people’s eyes. Otherwise I would prefer a caretaker manager. I agree that JBO’s current condition is quite fragile and it would be unfair to him to give him the job. If Ouna has the qualification as a coach then he should be given the mantle regardless of his experience. We saw Guadiola in Barca and Ole Gunner Solscher
No love lost but BW good riddance!!!!
Your tactics even with average players was wanting…..you had the depth in squad to beat tusker and Efusi , but you could not even manage a DSTV cup.
now you leave us in a precarious position with tusker breathing down our neck and we have to secure at least 5 wins out of the next 10 games to retain the league. The loss to GFC 105 was the highlight of your career and the 5-0 drubbing of esperance and the excuse of ‘budget’ ? Not sure what to make of your leadership.
Good luck with harambee stars and should we win the league it will be all about the fans, the fans , the fans, that is all we have left !!!!!!!
I still insist Loga is the man for Gor,we also need to put our pride aside and approach Tuzo again,those guys dont have a problem so long as small issues are ironed out.We can go to the field with placards written BRING TUZO BACK or we can send someone to Uhuru kenyatta.
@Ombeng, I agree with you on the TUZO. Jakoyo, you seem to have it personal with BW and there’s nothing much to add. I can give you his phone number and e mail so you can take it up privately with him instead of wasting our time reading your hate speech. Meanwhile, for those castigating Niva, remember, a journey starts with one step. The most important thing is how we learn!! Others talk like they were born and started walking the following day. Your mother gave you a chance and showed you how to walk. BW gave the boy a chance to taste competitive football. He must cherish it regardless of what the noise makers are saying.
All the best Bobby Williamson. You did your best under the circumstances. I can only wish you success with the national team – Harambee Stars. You did it with Uganda Cranes, and I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that you can do the same with Stars as long as you get full support from all stakeholders. Farewell BW.
For God and my beloved club – Kogallo
Ooh Laa la.!!”kwaheri BW and all the best in your new task”.
BW YOUR PARTING SHOT SPEAKS VOLUME ABOUT OUR CURRENT STATUS.
“I will miss the fans that were always fantastic and crazy and I’m happy they behaved today which is a good thing because the club needs a sponsor”.
BW our fans have behaved well this season. We have not had any fan trouble apart from Mashemeji derby incidents. If we win the league this season then all credit will certainly be dedicated to you.
ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING THE FIRST COACH TO QUIT GOR MAHIA DIPLOMATICALLY AFTER A LONG TIME.YOUR PREDECESSORS WERE HOUNDED OUT OF OFFICE IN VERY UNCEREMONIOUS MANNER.YOU WILL SUCCEED AS THE H/STARS COACH.
It is BW who will miss GOR more than how GOR will miss him. BOBBY WILLIAMSON had sentimental attachment to players and the entire TB.
I want to thank EC for security arrangement that were put in place at city stadium atleast sanity prevailed let EC maintain this as we go forward. I WANT TO REQUEST EC TO ZERO IN AND ARREST A GANG OF 5 GOONS THAT KEEP ON BEATING FANS FOR NO REASON AT THE STADIUM INFACT YESTERDAY I SAW THEM BEATING FANS.
Let us not be selfish by suggesting that OUNA and JBO to take over from BW. am assuring you that we will be first ones to castigate them when results dont go our way, my take is that let them remain in their current positions
I urge EC to consider Ghost mulei as a coach for GOR remember he to took Harambee stars to Africa cup of nation and through his stewardship he was able to mould Dennis oliech,musa otieno,simon mulama,oboya,kwarula and others
In Gor we need a coach who is able to tap the talents from the current squad we have and a coach who will understand the current financial crisis we are in and i bet Ghost Mullei is the Man fit for Gor
I strongly Urge Gor FANS TO COME UP WITH PLACARDS “WE WANT TUZO BACK” if Tuzo management sees this through local media i think they will invite EC for contract negotiation, we have to be creative HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO BEG THROUGH MPESA PAYBILL NO.
On KRA issue, i think it is a dead matter, the EC should come up with grounds for waiver and present them to KRA offices.
All the best BW for being one of the stabilising factor in GM despite all the turburlence around. You gave the young lads like Angelo, Kopany, Niva, Wanyonyi and Timthy a chance to excel even in high-octane matches.
Despite not beating Ingwe and Tusker during your reign football is a marathon and even Top Fry and GFE105 who have the distinction of having beaten us are still languishing at the bottom and those were lessons to us. On your successor we need to move in fast and fill the void as nature abhors a vacuum. Locally I would have prefered Okumbi but being a local and from a small team our fans, players, EC and TB might not give him the support he would need. And like someone said when Gudiola was given the reins at Barca nobody was sure that he will deliver but he did.
All the best Bobby and Luogarusic should come back.
Best wishes Bobby, you did a wonderful job, now it is upto the players to honor you by retaining the league.
For the gentleman that he is, its good that BW has exited GM in an amicable manner.
As am disinterested in HS affairs I wish him well as HS head coach.
How I wish AR & Co. would follow suit.
Surely how can some advocate pleading with Tuzo to sponsor GM, akin to the strange applause after the 3-1 defeat by AFC.
Sponsor/no sponsor GM & b4 new head coach blah blah blah please EC clear players dues!
How much were gate collections from yesterday’s game?
P.s surely even settling the laundry bill is now an issue.
As I’ve always said financial crisis aside GM’s bigger problem is administrative ineptness.
The laundry issue must have been an oversight but why & we have 5 secretaries in the EC.
I also recall money was available for fly the team to Kisumu yet none is there to clear their salaries/allowances!
EC should engage branches/members to resolve these issues unless branches are only there election vehicles.
congrats bt we dont need peopl like zico right now….gor has outgrown such coaches wid rathet let bobby ogollah try out.. i hate ouna 2 he cnt help us
good luck BW and thanks alot for all you did for the team, yes, we had our low times with you just as much as we had our high times with you. we critisize and love in the same measure.but at the end of the day, you have entered the anals of history at kogalo and we hold you in high esteem and appreciate the position you have left us at. thank you very much and wish you all the best and i promise to retain your potrait/picture in my house.