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Born in Glasgow in 1963, Garry played in the Scottish League for Queen's Park and Stranraer, and gained a Scottish U18 cap. In 1988 he moved south to join Hastings Town but sadly his playing career was cut short by a serious leg fracture whilst playing in a match against Witney Town. Garry continued on the management team at the Pilot Field, with successive appointments as Reserve Team Manager, Assistant Manager of the 1st XI, and then as Manager in March 1995. During his time in charge, Garry led Hastings to successes in the Southern League Cup (1995) and Sussex Senior Cup (1996), beating Langney 6-0 in the semi-final en route to the latter success.
Garry was controversially sacked by then-Hastings Chairman Mark Gardiner in January 1998 much to the amazement of the Hastings fans who still regard him as something of a folk-hero.
After a brief spell away from the game, Garry joined St. Leonard's as Assistant Manager before moving to Langney Sports in February 1999. In his first full season in charge at Priory Lane, Garry led Sports to the Sussex County League title for the first time in the Club's history, and promotion to the Southern League. Under Garry's leadership, Sports lifted the Sussex Senior Cup in 2001/02; and in 2002/03 won promotion to the Dr Martens Premier Division. 2003/04 saw promotion to Conference South, a feat eclipsed when Borough made the Conference North vs South Play-Off Final.
Garry invariably begins matches watching from the stand, chewing copious amounts of gum, and occasionally shouting words of 'encouragement' in a thick Glaswegian accent.
A bid to 'resurrect' his playing career was both brief ... and painful. Playing for a Hastings Select XI side at Priory Lane at the end of April 2004, in a charity match organised by Club Sports Therapist Ray Tuppen, Garry severely damaged his Achilles Tendon. As a consequence, whilst Borough were battling for a vital point at Newport County on the final day of the season, Garry was in hospital recovering from surgery the previous day, and spent a good part of the close season in plaster!
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