Despite being a lifelong Sunderland fan, Chandler admits basing his squad connected Kevin Keegan's Newcastle - with amusement adjacent placed supra winning.
"There was a lasting gag successful the team, 2 oregon 3 astatine the back? One clip we chased a crippled with 2 astatine the back," helium says.
"The Premier League tin beryllium truthful boring; fans privation to beryllium entertained, that's what we promised."
Chandler was already a Whitley Bay leader erstwhile helium was appointed manager by president Paul McIlduff, having scored the victor successful the 2002 FA Vase last against Tiptree United astatine Villa Park.
After a dilatory commencement arsenic the then-35-year-old with nary anterior managerial acquisition recovered his bearings, Chandler built a talented squad which became the envy of non-league shot nationwide.
"We played bully football. We had gait connected the wing, fantastic midfielders, and strikers who were deadly," says McIlduff, who has been Whitley Bay president since 2001.
"When we brought them in, it was astir fitting the science of the dressing room. No-one thought they were amended than anyone else, they played for each other."
A increasing power successful the broadside was the 'Whitley Bay Maradona'.
Paul Robinson came done Newcastle United's academy earlier a vocation spent crossed assorted non-league clubs successful the north-east – including Whitley Bay from 2007 to 2013.
Like respective different players and staff, helium worked with Chandler some successful his time occupation astatine bundle institution Sage and astatine Hillheads Park.
"He was my manager astatine enactment and football, I was sick of him," helium tells BBC Sport. "But it helped get clip disconnected for matches."
And it meant helium besides had an knowing brag if his caput drifted astatine work.
"Zoning retired happened regularly, picturing scoring and winning, what the absorption would beryllium similar - hoping they were rubbish truthful we could person an casual stroll," helium says.
Perhaps Robinson's top Whitley Bay infinitesimal came successful the 2010 FA Vase semi-final 2nd leg, erstwhile his last-minute diving header successful the driving rainfall secured a 6-5 aggregate triumph implicit Barwell, sparking a transportation invasion.
"Everyone goes to the finals, you were there, you could bask it," says Robinson, who is present academy caput astatine South Shields.
"But the rounds earlier were the bigger games. At home, we would get 2,000 oregon 3,000 astatine each game. You felt similar a existent player. You subordinate those memories with 90s FA Cup you ne'er deliberation it volition hap successful non-league."
Chandler played successful a 2-0 triumph implicit Preston successful circular 2 arsenic they reached the FA Cup 3rd circular for the archetypal and lone clip successful the 1989-90 season, and they besides progressed to circular 2 the pursuing campaign.
Those seasons of occurrence - made The Bay a feared broadside for non-league clubs crossed England, and meant they were acceptable for the large games successful a mode astir amateur sides are not.
"One quarter-final against Biggleswade [in 2009], they turned up successful suits and ties," says Robinson. "We thought, this is their time out, their cupful final. We won 5-2.
"By the end, teams were turning up acrophobic of us. We had it won beforehand."
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