That vantage point on matchday convinced Peter Sawdon enough to put up his hand for the NPL coaching job once it became vacant.

The club was also quick to sign Sawdon when outgoing Hobart-based Jez Kenth had decided to leave the role after one year in charge.

“You bump into people on the street over time and they say what are you doing these days,” Sawdon, now 66, said.

“Like are you having a kick even, or at least coaching – I mean I do keep myself fairly fit and I go to the gym daily.

“But what enticed me to go back was that I watched a couple of games and it really whetted my appetite.

“It was really good to see how they played, as I think their game has evolved in line with the game in Britain.

“So, yes, that’s made me keen to do it again.”

Sawdon has not coached for eight years. But his record is impeccable.

He is a three-time back-to-back premiership-winning coach through his journeys that included George Town, Devonport City and and finished at Riverside Olympic.

When the Englishman did last coach City, it was just for one season.

Sawdon wants to make an amends one last time.

“I have talked to the guys, of course, about what they expect of me,” he said.

“Obviously, I have some high expectations because I am a very ambitious type of fella – and I like to win like we all should do.

“So I wanted to ensure I was going back into a club that had good aspirations.

“That was wanting to improve and I have found that.”

Sawdon isn’t promising big changes, convinced City is on the right track.

The NPL side finished fourth but had led the competition for the first 12 rounds until fading.

“Jez did a really good job – he worked well with other people like Sav [Peter Savill] and Roger [Mies] so when I had a think about it,” he said.

“It took me a while to get to this point I have to say.

“I don’t think I am going to go in and change the paint in the building or anything quite like that.

“I think building on the work they’ve done is the way to go about it. They have obviously achieved very well.”

“I will look at all the variables of the game and I will try and improve, add value to as many aspects as I can.

“That’s where I sit in the world – to try and add value of what they’ve done.

“We can do another step and see if we can go a bit higher again.”

Sawdon said the squad will learn from the hard end to the year after winning nine and drawing two of their first half of games.

“Part of that was they had a very young squad and a young team,” he said.

“Perhaps on reflection when you look at how the season went that the pressure got to them a little bit and just fell apart in key moments sometimes.”