A non-league football club gaffer is ditching his lucky coat after 25 years
Marc White has worn it for 1,000 matches which has seen his side get a staggering 12 promotions.
But he is hanging up the trenchcoat after a quarter of a century.
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Marc is the manager of Dorking Wanderers FC and plays in the National League South.
The club has risen from the 17th tier of English football to being just two promotions away from entering the Football League.
But now despite being so auspicious Marc has decided to let go of his lucky charm and will be giving it to a fan this weekend.
“It’s not as fashionable as I would like,” he said.
“I’ve probably worn it two or three years past its expiry date because it kept winning games for me.
“People think I’m joking.
“But this coat has won games out of nowhere.
“When people ask me how we won a game I honestly say it’s because I wore the jacket.
“It’s a German soldier type three-quarter length grey coat that wouldn’t be out of place in Warsaw.
“I’ve worn it in summer, in pre-season games in May.”
He also told What’s The Jam: “Over the years I’ve tried to get rid of it.
“I’ve left it at home and had people bring it to the game at halftime because we’re getting beaten.
“I’ve never found one to replace it that gives me that consistency of results.”
He said he bought it from a car boot sale.
“It was a top-of-the-range coat someone was selling – it wasn’t a lot of money,” he said.
“If only they’d known – they would have put the price up.
“I worked out after a few years that this coat just knew how to win.
“It’s authoritative, other managers think, ‘Right this guy means business’.
“Opposition players think, ‘he’ll be a foot soldier’.
“Retiring it is a big risk.
“But I’m going to give it away to someone in need of consistent good luck.
“There’s been a lot of interest – loads of people know about this lucky coat.
“We had a playoff final not too long ago and it was a very hot day.
“I took it off, folded it up and made sure it was still in the dugout.
“And we were losing 2-1 with five seconds to go and we equalised amid chaos in the ground.
“And we went on to win 3-2.
“That’s what it can do – drag success from the clutches of failure.”
A Dorking Wanderers spokesperson said: “Following 25 years, 12 promotions, and 1,000 matches in charge this Saturday, manager Marc White has taken the decision to retire…his lucky coat!
“Win the most successful coat in non-league football.
“The winner will be announced at the 1,000th fixture versus Weston-super-Mare this Saturday.”
Mark added he hadn’t chosen a replacement.
“I’ve got a few choices,” he said.
“It’s weird, it’s innocuous really.
“If a bin bag brings me the same level of success I’ll happily wear that.”
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