Boreham Wood have confirmed that Vic Akers OBE has joined the club’s coaching staff as they look to arrest a recent spell of poor form that has seen them tumble down the National League table.
Akers, 72, left Arsenal last summer after more than three decades at the club. He spent 22 years in charge of the Gunners women’s team, which he founded in 1987, winning an unprecedented 32 major honours along the way. He was also a regular on the first team bench alongside Arsene Wenger as part of his kit man duties.
Vic, who was recently crowned the first British adult to wear shorts every day for 50 years, is set to work alongside manager Luke Garrard for the final 12 games of the season with the sole aim of helping the 33-year-old keep Boreham Wood up.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Vic said: “We have got 12 games to go and they are going to be 12 cup finals for us. [Chairman] Danny [Hunter] thought that it would be a good idea if I was to come in and Luke [Garrard] agreed with it.
“It is certainly a nice challenge to come back into the game and use my experience for Luke, because obviously there are one or two things that I see that he maybe doesn’t, because he is so involved. With me coming in from the outside, it is maybe a bit different.
“I have already picked one or two things out today, so let’s hope we can turn it around and get the results we need – maybe four wins I think would do it for us.
“The most important thing for us is to not get beat. If we take a point out of every game, that is 12 points and we would be safe, which is important to us.”
Arsenal have a close relationship with Boreham Wood with the Women’s side playing their home matches at Meadow Park. You’ll also remember we took part in a pre-season game there last summer.