Rogers
stepped down in July, leaving cousin Scott in sole charge.
The
66-year-old decided to share some of the burden of management in the summer of
2020.
Rogers
is known as `Mr Tiverton Town` and quite rightly so.
Originally
with Bristol City, the full back then spent five years with Bath City before
returning to the full-time ranks with Exeter City in 1979.
He
went on to make 131 appearances for the Grecians before joining Conference side
Weymouth in 1986.
He
played over 150 times for the Terras – many as a team-mate of brother Peter –
before signing for Tiverton as player-manager, taking over from John Owen in
the summer of 1991.
The
following season the club were runners-up in the Western League to an
invincible Clevedon Town and reached the FA Vase Final at Wembley on the back
of some staggering results against higher opposition.
Forest
Green Rovers were hit for six while Barton Rovers and Buckingham Town both went
for four in what was by far Tivvy’s best season to date.
The
day out at Wembley lost a little of its silver lining as Town were defeated 1-0
by Bridlington Town, but by now everything was in place and the remarkable rise
of a club that was in danger of extinction ten years prior was about to be
completed.
The
Western League championship finally arrived at Ladysmead in 1994 and stayed in Tiverton
the following year. By this time Tivvy had made three appearances in the First
Round of the FA Cup, playing host to Leyton Orient and having the cheek to take
an early lead on the most recent occasion.
But
it was the FA Vase that was most coveted, and Rogers carefully assembled a
squad with the belief and talent to succeed, and the dream was finally realised
when Tow Law Town were defeated by a single Peter Varley goal at Wembley in May
1998.
Not
satisfied with just one trip up the 39 steps to lift the cup Tiverton went and
did it again the following year, this time getting the better of a highly
fancied Bedlington Terriers side thanks to Scott Rogers` late, late strike.
The
only thing left was to take on the challenge of the Southern League, and after
an impressive initial season Tiverton won promotion to the Premier Division at
only the second attempt.
The
step up in class did little to temper the Yellows appetite for success and the
next two seasons saw them finish respectably in sixth and then fourth, only
being denied a shot at the Conference after failing to win any of the last five
games of the 2002/03 campaign.
But
the latter half of the following season saw Tiverton slump from second to 15th
and miss out on a place in the newly structured regional sections of the
Conference.
The
next five years saw Tivvy back in mid-table, and a particularly frustrating
2006/07 had them fighting at the wrong end of the table for much of the season,
often hampered by postponed games, injuries and suspensions. The only high
point was winning Southern League Cup with a fine 3-2 aggregate victory over
Hemel Hempstead Town, but even that failed to disguise the fact that there
needed to be a period of rebuilding if Tiverton are to take the next step up
the ladder.
The
culmination of half a decade of struggle came in the 2009/10 season when the
club finished in the relegation zone.
Tivvy
were lucky to escape the drop due to off-field matters concerning other clubs
across the non-League system, and in May 2010 Rogers stepped down as manager,
bringing to an end a marvellous 19-season managerial tenure.
However,
in January 2011, Rogers returned to management when he returned to manage
struggling Weymouth and successfully guided the Terras away from the Southern Premier
Division relegation zone by just two points, despite having a ten-point
deduction.
But
he left Weymouth in May 2011 after failing to agree on a budget for the
following season.
In
August 2012, Rogers joined then-Southern Division One South & West side
Taunton Town as assistant-manager after two years out of the game.
And
then he returned for his second spell in charge of Tiverton in 2014.
Rogers
told his club`s website: “It’s probably not a decision that will surprise
anyone that has been working in football for as long that I have. I have
certainly missed the involvement in the job I was doing with Scott and after
talking to both Ian and Scott we have agreed for me to come back in the role
that Scott and I shared with a lot of success.
“I
would like to thank them for letting me back to do the job I love doing, I
can’t wait to get going.”
Chairman
Ian Moorcroft added: “As we all know Martyn left the club in the summer after
many, many years as manager for personal reasons. However, in the last few days
he approached us to return in any capacity.
“Following
talks with Scott who was appointed overall manager and has done a great job, he
was totally agreeable for Martyn to return as joint manager as they have a
brilliant working relationship.
“So,
with immediate effect Martyn will be returning as joint manager and all that’s
left for me to say is `welcome back Martyn`”. |