ANDY WOODMAN swapped a cushy job as Arsenal goalkeeper coach to slum it in non-league as Bromley boss.
Even his own wife thought he was off his trolley.
But three-and-a-half years later — thanks to a “no dickheads policy” and introducing a more professional environment — he has taken the club into the EFL for the first time in their 132-year history.
Woodman, 52, worked under Arsene Wenger, Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta — but the lure of managing was too great.
He told SunSport: “When I decided to jump from the Premier League to the National League, the response I got from my wife was horrific.
“I had a dream job at Arsenal in charge of goalkeeping for five years and, prior to that, I’d been working with Alan Pardew for many years.
“But this opportunity came up and, after speaking to the owner Robin Stanton-Gleaves, hearing his vision and knowing in his business life everything he touches was successful, it made sense to go for it.
“Everyone has that inner manager in them and at my age it was probably my last chance.
“It was brave to jump. I was in a secure job but felt it was something I had to have a go at otherwise I’d have forever been wondering what might have been.”
Woodman found himself switching from a plush office with 200 staff at London Colney to operating from a tiny Portakabin, that doubled up as the club shop with only his assistant, former Millwall and Orient right-back Alan Dunne.
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And they quickly set about creating a more professional culture at the Kent club alongside the owner.
He said: “I’ve been in football 37 years. You learn from people like Wenger, Arteta, Pardew and Emery.
“You look at what they do and how they operate. Then you have the backdrop of all the staff behind them and how professional the clubs are run and the attention to detail.
“Here we cannot afford all the staff but we can equip ourselves with the right culture and professionalism.
“There’s no criticism intended of anyone who came before us — but having a players’ meeting in a bar isn’t professional.
“Getting on a coach with all the back office staff and fans having a beer isn’t professional.
HERE'S what Andy Woodman thought of the three managers he served while working with the North London giants in charge of goalkeeping.
ARSENE WENGER
BRILLIANT. The guy knew every single person at the training ground, every single job and role they’ve done. He spoke to everyone minimally but when he did you felt like a god. He had a real knack.
The last year at Arsenal, there was a lot of unfair noise and anger directed at him — but he remained the same guy every day. He didn’t waste words but you’d hang on every one he uttered.
UNAI EMERY
HE and his staff were excellent. I liked how they worked today. They followed a legend in Wenger and perhaps reflect now that they tried to do too much, too soon.
They were professional and left no stone unturned. Unbelievable people who I still speak to now.
MIKEL ARTETA
MIKEL had his ways and beliefs — and didn’t divert from those. He made some big and bold decisions.
He got loads of criticism early on but, because of his Arsenal legend status, got longer to get his vision across to the team and everyone else.
And look where he is now. The job he’s done is incredible.
“Preparing a training session in a bar the morning the lads were going out to train while they were having breakfast isn’t professional.
“We didn’t have GPS here. We had limited amount of staff, very little training kit, little amounts of balls.
“It’s all well for me to say what I want and how we’re going to do it — but I needed an owner was was going to back and deliver it with me.
“And he did, we worked out our vision which was to get this club into the EFL and didn’t cut any corners.
“Once you get that professional mindset, you start acting like a League Two club.”
Woodman — a decades-old friend of Gareth Southgate who was best man at his wedding in 1997 — had a long career in the lower leagues.
After being released by Crystal Palace in 1994, he went on to play for Exeter, Northampton, Brentford, Colchester, Oxford, Stevenage, Southend and Rushden & Diamonds.
And Woodman — whose son Freddie is a goalkeeper at Preston — has seen the way management has evolved since he first started out.
He said: “You cannot shout at people, flip tables and chuck cups of tea anymore.
“You cannot be this hierarchy boss that no-one can speak to.
“I’ve seen some managers trying to manage like that — but we all want to play for someone who respects us.
“I’ve just brought that personality of mine with the respect value and treating people right because I don’t want my own son being treated wrong in the game.
“We’ve a brilliant group of players here. We’ve a no dickheads polity. We don’t sign them.
“If we have one, which we have had, I’ve got rid of them straight away.
“We’ve no superstars, no egos and a group of players that are all happy to graft for one another.”
In Woodman’s office is a year planner and on the square that says August 10 2024 he has penned: “Start of promotion-winning season.”
He said: “If I say we’re just going to try to survive and see what happens game-by-game, my team will develop that mindset. That has never been my mantra.
“You must set a target and aim for it. If you don’t hit it or fall short, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.
“The embarrassment should be the people who don’t have a target.”
