The managers of Accrington Stanley and Harrogate Town don't seem to have much in common. Accrington's John Coleman is approaching retirement age, a plain-speaking Scouser who said after an FA Cup match four years ago that he lost his love of football because of poor decisions by the referees.
Simon Weaver, his counterpart at Harrogate, celebrated his 46th birthday last week and is closer in style to the current managerial standard, steely but self-effacing, like League Two's Eddie Howe.
Yet Coleman and Weaver stand out for the same reason. They are number two and one respectively on the list of longest-serving managers in the top four leagues. Ahead of the team meeting in Harrogate on Boxing Day, we spend 45 minutes together via video and even more similarities emerge.
They have between them managed more than 1,500 matches for their clubs, Coleman in two long stretches. He notes that this is the second time he has been near the top of the longest-serving list, reaching number three in his first spell at Accrington, which began in 1999. At the time, he was stuck behind Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger and left for Rochdale. in 2012 he returned it to 92nd position. He returned to Accrington two years later and Weaver, who was appointed at Harrogate in 2009, is now the only manager with a longer tenure.
Both have competition from numbers three and four on the list: Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola. "I'm a huge Liverpool fan," says Coleman. "That would never happen, but you know those programs where people swap jobs for a week? I would love to see Jurgen and Pep swap with me and Simon.
"We will do their job and see how they do with us, that would be an eye-opener. I know the pressure at Liverpool and Man City is much greater than at our two clubs, but there are a lot of little things we have to do that they don't do because they have someone else to do it. There are problems that come to our door that would never come close to theirs."
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Coleman and Weaver have similar war stories of punching above your weight in the fourth level. Coleman talks about long nights scouting potential signings, which culminated in him assessing opponents via video when he was home in preparation for training the next morning. Harrogate have struggled to obtain planning permission for a road sign indicating the location of their stadium.
Simply getting fans through the turnstiles is a big challenge, only Forest Green has a lower average attendance. "We got a great response recently when we played Wrexham," says Weaver. "Everyone was looking forward to seeing me, or should I say Ryan Reynolds. It felt like half of Harrogate turned up, but it didn't make half a difference.
He's happy to be at the top of the long-serving list, but says he gets a deeper sense of pride when he sees more of his team's shirts around him. "A few years ago we trained at a school in Harrogate and people said 'who is that?' They thought we were a Sunday League team. I said, 'We're Harrogate Town, we're playing down the road.' Now you see children in the big park in Harrogate proud to wear the shirts of the local team."
Accrington is so dominated by Burnley and Blackburn fans that chairman Andy Holt donates hundreds of shirts every year to local children in year three of primary school. "When you get some superstars on your team, you have to sell them," says Coleman. "That is the model you must have. I say to our boys: I want you to earn £10,000, £15,000 a week... Not with us. But we'll give you the chance."
'Players take better care of their bodies - especially for Instagram'
Both have noticed changes in the current generation of players. "They are fitter and take better care of their bodies, especially because they want to post Instagram videos of themselves looking good with a six-pack," says Coleman. "Gone are the days when you had to make them lose a few stone when they came back for pre-season training."
Weaver believes the omnivorous Category 1 academies attached to the biggest clubs are leaving too many players unfit for a career in the lower leagues. "Athletically and technically they are through the roof. But many people who drop out are not mentally well developed, it is too much of a culture shock and they often need to be rewired. The vast majority of players at the academies drop out and there is a lot to do with them."
'It is important to have time to stamp your culture on the club'
Both are grateful for the time they have had to shape their clubs and how unusual their positions are in an era when struggling teams often change managers twice a season. "I liken it to sourdough," says Coleman, generously tailoring his comparison to the residents of Bougie Harrogate. "You have the yeast and you keep adding to it and making it better. I think it's important to take the time to imprint your culture on the club.
"It takes time to develop, it can only happen over a number of years. And once you get the hang of it, you start to feel like if you move, you have to start all over again and it's going to take even more time, but you don't get time. I have been drinking a few liters of milk longer than some managers have had a job."
Mutually respectful relationships between manager and owner are essential, aided at Harrogate by the owner, Weaver's father, Irving. It should be noted that he bought the club two years after his son's reign as manager. For Weaver Jr.'s recent birthday, he invited Irving for a family walk. "Within the first hundred meters we were talking about football. When we got a little further along, I said, "How about we meet after work on Friday?" because times like these when we are all together are precious. Then he immediately became my father again and the grandchildren for my children.
A father sacking his son seems unlikely, but running Harrogate is still a huge challenge. What keeps him motivated? "We had a good win against Notts County last weekend. The boys went out for their Christmas party, I went to a pantomime. I sent one of the players who has been playing here for ten years a picture of Jack and the Beanstalk with the text 'Hope you're having a good time.'
"But I could have been anywhere and absolutely buzzing because we had won. You get your buzz." Like all managers, they both chase that. Unlike most, Coleman and Weaver share a higher purpose, dedication to their community and a sense of mission.
After Tuesday's game, Weaver goes for a drink with Coleman. He doesn't have an office at their Wetherby Road stadium where he can pour a Fergie-esque glass of Tignanello, but the drinks selection is more open: 'He can get what he wants in our bar, maybe a coke or a beer, we've it all."
Crucially and predictably given their longevity, their main shared motivation is a genuine love for the work. "I wasn't involved in professional football as a player, I only played non-league," says Coleman. "So the tension never goes away for me. The novelty will never go away."
