“Whatever I said, whatever I did, I didn’t mean it; I just want Jo Flack for good” – and that all there is to it with this striker if you ask us. Sadly, first-team opportunities usually came in the form of sub outings for the young forward. But the 2004-5 campaign did hint at the regard in which he was held by manager Graham Westley. That season saw him turn out more times in a Boro’ shirt than the previous two combined.
It was Wayne Turner who brought Flack in; signing the striker from Southend United early in 2002. And it’d be Turner who’d hand him a debut on Boxing Day that year. No pressure really, given it was in a relegation six-pointer up at Kettering Town! His progress, however, did do enough to earn him a two-and-a-half year contract to cap a remarkable rise – from youth team to first team in the space of a calendar year.
But, after Turner left the club, it then took until the last day of the 2003-4 season before GW gave Flack another shot. And, to Flack’s credit, he didn’t half take that chance by scoring. In fact, he managed three goals in as many starts for us. But it wasn’t enough to force him ahead of the established players ahead of him. That meant Flack had to look elsewhere for football. And this quest started at Havant & Waterlooville on loan.
Jo Flack: After Boro’
After a number of loan spells (including with the Hawks), Flack eventually left us for good at the end of the 2005-6 season. But we’re not totally sure of his next moves. We do know he signed for Billericay Town, before turning up at Hornchurch a few years later. The path of his career is not-so-well-documented, however. It’s a shame that so much potential was not realised at a higher level. Based on our 2019-20 performance, maybe he could still do a job for us?
