Marcus Bignot could so easily have had one foot down the tunnel when the referee put the whistle to his mouth on Saturday afternoon.
Nobody would have criticised him.
The Grimsby Town manager had just watched his side succumb to a 5-0 drubbing at Crewe Alexandra and most managers would have escaped to the safety of the changing rooms rather than face the shower of abuse from the travelling support.
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— RɛɛcÉ› (@RPxGTFC) February 11, 2017
But Bignot knew that he had to stand over his work and did not shy away from his team’s understandably unhappy fans.
The former QPR defender took to the pitch and bravely wandered over to all 720 fans who travelled 150 miles to witness their side receive an absolute spanking.
After being accused by some supporters of ignoring their concerns, Bignot held his hands up and delivered a heartfelt apology for the lack of fight displayed on the pitch.
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— RɛɛcÉ› (@RPxGTFC) February 11, 2017
“I never ignored you, I came straight over and I clapped the supporters,” Bignot insisted before shaking hands with a number of fans.
“I apologise, we need to stick together,” he continued.
“I appreciate your support, I really do, and I will make sure the players appreciate it as well because you pay hard-earned money, you work all week.
“And yes I agree it wasn’t acceptable, so we will bounce back.”
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