Not for the first time, Alex Revell took on the job of leading Boro’ in summer 2024 following the departure of Steve Evans. In fact, it would be the second time that Revs landed the role; his first stint in charge coming during troubled times when Graham Westley left his position in February 2020. The compare and contrast job between the two eras, however, was a stark one. Unlike in 2020, we weren’t staring down the barrel of relegation from the Football League. He inherited a team that had enjoyed a successful season in League One. So, that brought more and less pressure in one go.
Revs had been on the coaching team since retiring in summer 2019 and was pretty much a case of last man standing; the fourth man to lead us in a difficult 2019-20 campaign. In fact, he came to the helm with his first task to haul us off the foot of the League Two table. In the end, we lived to fight another day in the Football League. And things started to look good for Revs when he got into his stride during the 2020-1 season – helped by the arrival of Dean Wilkins as his right-hand man. Under his leadership, Boro’ came close to a new all-time club clean sheets record.
Alex Revell: Rise and fall first time around
There was also an epic run of form that threw us into the fringes of the playoff debate. It didn’t ultimately happen – but, then again, it would’ve been too soon. Maybe that was still the case in the end. It meant we had a lot of optimism going into the 2021-2 campaign, though; hoping to build on what Revs had started in his 18 months previous. His second full season started well enough – including an opening day win, which had become rare for Boro’ since joining the Football League. But the results started to turn sour. Goals dried up at the right end… and poured in at the wrong end.
Even encouraging performances in the FA Cup, League Cup, and Football League Trophy couldn’t help. Boro’ simply couldn’t make it work in the league. And it would ultimately cost Revs his job. After leaving the club in November 2021, we still struggled and his replacement Paul Tisdale didn’t fare much better. That’s by the by for the next chapter, mind. Revell came back to Boro’ a mere three months later; rejoining in January 2022 as a coach in the academy. And it was the start of his journey back to the Boro’ manager’s job against the backdrop of a remarkable rise up the ladder.
Alex Revell: Second time around
Tisdale left and Evans arrived; Revell made part of the first team coaching staff. Under the watchful eye of the Scottish gaffer, Boro’ secured promotion to League One and Revs learned more about the trade. Perhaps similar to Darren Sarll under Teddy Sheringham, though less frantic, it was a case of the apprentice and the master. When Evans left towards the end of the 2023-4 campaign, Revs stepped in – but there was almost a certainty about his coronation. Indeed, the club announced its retained list in mid-May 2024 and – a day later – confirmed Revs’ return as boss.
