Mike Percival reflects on his career - in-depth feature

Mike Percival is one such example of a unique breed in the non-League game.

Currently residing under Bobby Wilkinson at Weymouth, Percival used to give his all for 90 minutes as a player at Henley Town under the incumbent Terras boss.

The 34-year-old’s journey towards becoming an assistant manager started like so many young players in the game.

READ MORE: Bobby Wilkinson reflects on reaching 50 games for Weymouth

Lured in by the promise of academy football, he eventually disembarked and tried his luck on the non-League ladder.

After switching positions from forward to right wing-back, navigating his fair share of rungs on the ladder, Percival decided to hang up his boots and focus on life in the dugout.

“I’ve loved football since a young age,” he told Echosport, reflecting on his formative years.

“I played all my life, right up until I got the offer to come on Bobby’s management team, eight years ago.

“Football has always been the number one sport in my family and now I’m involved in it at this level is fantastic because it means I get to go to football three or four times a week.”

He added: “I was in the academy system as a lad and never signed a deal, I was on trial at various different academies in Reading.

“Bob was first-team manager at Henley Town, very early on in his career. I actually made my senior debut playing Bob at Henley.

“I never let him forget that he was my manager. I joke that I know what the players feel like when they play for him, because I’ve done it.

“So, I played semi-pro football up until the age of 26, then natural things started to happen.

“I had a family and it naturally took its toll on my trying to commit to playing.

“Ironically, I dropped down the leagues and Bob gave me the offer to become part of his management team, which meant I committed more to football!

“That’s how mine and Bob’s relationship started. I worked for Reading Football Club and so did he.

“I was coaching in the community and Bob was involved with the first team.”

And it was there a partnership sparked between the pair, to the point where Percival would keep watch on Wilkinson’s results.

Mike Percival has been Bobby Wilkinson's right-hand man for eight seasons (Image: MARK PROBIN)

“Having known Bob, I just followed his career, especially when he went to Hungerford,” Percival said.

“Whenever I could get to a game that I wasn’t playing, I’d go and watch his sides and just gradually kept more and more in touch with him.

“It would be the first result after I finished my game on a Saturday, to see how he did.

“I remember just chatting to him at Christmas one year and said I’m thinking about hanging up my boots.

“He said actually he was going to need a coach next year and he knew I had a coaching background. He said: ‘Would you come on board?’ and I went: ‘Really, are you sure?’

“I was quite a young coach at the time, only 25, 26. He said he liked giving people the opportunity.

“He gave me the opportunity and thankfully I’ve never looked back.”

Percival was present on a meteoric rise as Wilkinson went to Hungerford and Wealdstone, initially as the manager’s number three.

Success came along the way, achieving promotions with Hungerford and reaching the FA Trophy semi-finals with Wealdstone.

Percival then progressed to the assistant role as Jamie Leacock launched his managerial career.

He continued as Wilkinson’s understudy at Bracknell and the duo’s partnership cemented during another successful spell, so eye-catching that Weymouth came calling in September 2022.

Percival joked: “I’ll go on record as saying no other assistant manager has won a league for him!

“But then he always comes back and says he got three other promotions with assistants.

“I’ve still got a little way to get to his level of accolades but I’ve loved the role, I’m really happy.”

And what goes into the art of assisting?

“I always love the job of an assistant,” he admitted.

“The gaffer always has to have a balance between the relationship with the players, not being too close or far away because, ultimately, he’s the manager.

“Whereas, I can lean on players and see how they’re feeling. Having played myself, I know what they’re going through when they’re not playing or not playing well.

“That’s why I love the job, it’s the best of both worlds. I get to enjoy the wins, celebrate, and (Wilkinson) gets to take the pressure when we lose!

“But no, we lose together as a management team. When we lose, we all feel it and when we win we celebrate together.”

The pair’s success together has been based on trust and an open environment, with Wilkinson actively welcoming ideas from his backroom staff.

Mike Percival often takes calls from Bobby Wilkinson at unsociable hours to discuss football and other matters (Image: MARK PROBIN)

It is an atmosphere Percival relishes and one he is sure has contributed to their achievements.

“I’ve learned so much under him, it’s a joke,” he said.

“The knowledge he has of the game, how much he still learns as well. His phonebook, we always joke, is full of unbelievable contacts.

“He always comes in with new ideas and things he’s learned. I think that’s why he’s been successful because he never stands still.

“Despite all of his success as a non-League manager, he still is looking to push to that next level.

“He leans on his management team, he’s very open to what we bring to the table. If he thinks that’s going to improve us getting a result on a Saturday, he will listen.

“He gives us a lot of responsibility and ultimately, of course, he always makes the final decision.

“If he likes an idea, he’ll implement it and that’s someone you always want to work for, who’s open to improve. That’s why he’s always been successful.”

Wilkinson has gone on the record last season as calling up in the small hours to run his ideas past Percival.

This dynamic in their working relationship even has the backing of their respective wives, despite the time of day.

Percival said: “He’s got better recently but in good times and bad times, I think he’s nocturnal, he likes doing his work at night.

“Quite often, when I see the phone ringing at half 11 I’ll say to the wife that I’ve got to take this.

“Usually, it’s those little conversations. People think you must be crazy for speaking at those times and there must be something serious going on.

“Sometimes, it’s just a chat. Especially in the off-season, if it’s been really intense and he’s had to rebuild a whole squad.

“He needs to vent. He’s been on the phone talking about football all day, so sometimes he just wants to chat. It’ll always be about football but we’ll talk maybe not about Weymouth.

“We’ll chat about another club, what they’re doing. What do you think about this player? That’s where we do a lot of our work, in the small hours.

“I’m not the only one who gets phone calls at that time. I think Paul (Maitland, chairman), quite often speaks to him in those hours as well.

“When me and my wife are at home watching a television programme, if she sees Bobby calling she just pauses it!

“She knows I won’t be back for 20 or 30 minutes while we’re having a chat, so I feel for her as well.

“But also Tash, his missus, they must not spend much time together in the evenings as well because he’s constantly on the phone.

“It’s all part and parcel of it and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Percival’s job at Weymouth has also differed to previous spells at other clubs.

Used to fighting for promotion and titles at the likes of Bracknell, he along with Wilkinson suddenly had to revive a squad winless in ten games and with only two points in the bank.

He said: “This one has been a totally different job.

“The group we built at Bracknell basically operated itself. We just had to send them across the white line with the detail. They were so drilled and that’s why we were really successful there.

“Whereas, at Weymouth, it’s been a totally different situation. We came in last year, worked with the squad which was brilliant in its own right but used to losing.

“That can be a difficult mentality to turn around. We almost didn’t, but we always believed we would.

“It took right down until the final game of the season for us to do it, but ultimately the goal was to come in and stay up.

“It didn’t matter if we did it with ten games to go or on the final game.

“This year, you’re already seeing Bobby’s style in how he wants to press and how we’re keeping the ball a bit better in areas of the pitch as well.

“When you play the way Bob plays, you have to sign a certain type of player.

“What we learnt last year is the ability to adapt. We learned we couldn’t perhaps play the style we wanted because we didn’t have the players that could do that.

“They’re really good players in their own right but we didn’t perhaps have a certain style of player.

“This year, we’ve been very selective in our recruitment in terms of making sure we’ve got boys who can run, are comfortable on the ball and can handle pressure.

“I hope fans are starting to see Bobby’s blueprint and it’s a blueprint that’s successful because you just have to look at his record.”

Modest to the end, Percival will of course have plotted some of the white lines on that blueprint.

To paraphrase a famous saying: ‘Behind every successful manager there is an assistant’.

Weymouth have Mike Percival, and not just Bobby Wilkinson.