The flame-haired Megson was always an instantly recognisable figure in midfield with several clubs including Everton, Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich. His managerial career started with Blackpool in 1997 but it was with his second club Stockport County where he began to really make his name, succeeding Dave Jones.

Megson went on to manage Stoke City but his greatest success has come at West Brom where he was appointed boss in 2000. Megson and Albion defied the odds to win automatic promotion to the Premiership last season and despite being pre-season favourites for relegation, they are making a great battle to beat the drop with Jason Roberts, Darren Moore and goalkeeper Russell Hoult catching the eye this season.

MOST AND LEAST ENJOYABLE PARTS OF YOUR JOB

Most enjoyable - You can probably guess the answer; it is winning games! There are a lot of things that going into preparing for a game and when the final whistle goes it all seems worth it, you know the next week is going to be a lot better. As a kid you dream of being involved in professional football, so being part of a football club is enjoyable in itself.

Least enjoyable - Losing. It ruins your Saturday night, your Sunday and even into the Monday. The hard thing to accept is that it's different from being a player. Your highs as a manager are never as high as your lows are low. If you win a game and everything goes well, you just switch onto the next match starting on Sunday morning. It seems when you lose a game you can't just say 'OK, that one has gone' - you are forever mulling over what has gone wrong.

THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE SINCE YOU WERE A PLAYER?

Off the field without a doubt it is cash. Finances have made such a vast difference to football, not always a bad thing - it is good and bad. But you are now dealing with a lot of people who aren't dependent on their performance for their livelihood. They have that much money over the course of their career that as a manager you are appealing in some cases to millionaires. You are appealing to them to do the job properly because you haven't really got the clout and power that you used to have. It has completely changed the face of football the amount of money players can earn. 

ONE FOOTBALL RULE YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE

I would get rid of the transfer window straight away. I think it is a nonsense and unfair. I can think of no other business in Europe where these time restrictions apply. If you are running a haulage firm and you need a new lorry in September, nobody turns around and says 'you can't have one until January'

It means you can't compete and it is ludicrous. That is something I would change. From a more general point of view, I would try to change the distribution of money a little bit because things are geared to the strong clubs getting stronger and the weak clubs getting weaker.

OTHER PREMIERSHIP MANAGER YOU MOST ADMIRE
Sir Alex. I admire all of them because I know it's a very hard job and a lonely job when it's not going too well. But in any walk of life you admire the best, and in my view Sir Alex Ferguson is the best. When he went to Manchester United, they weren't the club they are now. Real Madrid have got success by buying the world's best players and going completely into the red. Sir Alex has developed youngsters and improved the players he has signed. They are the biggest club around and it's his work that has achieved that.

PREMIERSHIP PLAYER YOU WOULD SIGN IF MONEY WAS NO OBJECT
Shearer. Alan Shearer knows his job inside-out. Everyone focuses on the goals he gets, because of the amount of goals he scores people tend to overlook his intelligence; he never gives centre-halves a moment's peace. He looks a good leader.

HOW DO THE PLAYERS ADDRESS YOU
It has to be boss or gaffer to my face. I would imagine it may be different when I can't hear!

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO
"Give it your best shot and don't cheat anybody". I like to think if anyone comes to The Hawthorns or watches a West Brom away game, they don't see any of my players not giving their best.

Gary Megson was talking to Joe Bernstein

Click here to read more from the Gaffer Tapes...