19/07/2008 - Gary Birtles on Calderwood's contract
In an era where the average tenure of a football manager has been reduced to just 17 months, Colin Calderwood is a positive veteran at Nottingham Forest.
In fact, if he is still in the job at Christmas - which he almost certainly will be, barring an absolute disaster - he will be the longest-serving manager at the City Ground since Frank Clark.
And there have been a few. Since Clark's time in charge came to an end in 1996, Calderwood is the 11th manager to take the helm.
He has not always been the most popular. In fact, only Gary Megson has suffered more stick from fans - and that was when he was struggling to keep the team in League One, not pushing for promotion.
But, with the exception perhaps of Paul Hart, you can argue that Calderwood is the most successful manager since Clark took Forest into Europe.
And that is some statement.
While the style of play may not always have been what the fans demanded over the past two seasons, it has been effective. You cannot argue with the results - after all, Forest will be kicking off the new season in the Championship next season.
Calderwood fulfilled the objectives that were set out for him. He got the club promoted.
Given that, he might well have felt he deserved an improvement to his contact. He might well have been knocking on the chairman's door asking for a new deal, to reflect his success.
If I was in his shoes, I would have been.
But, personally speaking, I am delighted that they have not rewarded him with a long-term contract.
Don't get me wrong, Calderwood deserves the highest praise for what he has achieved at the City Ground.
As somebody who cares a great deal about the club, I am thrilled that he has guided us to promotion.
But it was the right decision not to give him a new deal. Calderwood is on a rolling one-year contract and, in my eyes, that is the perfect situation.
Why? Because, it is a win/win situation for Forest.
If they had given Calderwood a three-year contract, for example, what would happen if things did turn sour this season?
The answer, of course, is that they would end up paying out a massive amount if they decided it was time for him to move on.
In the current position, they would only have to pay out the equivalent of 12 months salary, were they to make the decision to sack him.
But that is not the most important factor, the most significant outcome of him only being on a one-year deal.
No, the biggest single consequence of it is simple motivation.
I am not suggesting that Calderwood lacks hunger or drive. In fact, when you listen to him talk, he seems to be hugely ambitious. But there is no harm in keeping him that way, by ensuring that he does not have the comfort of a long-term deal to fall back on.
In the modern game, players seem to have become bigger than football clubs, they are the ones wielding the power.
Forest are right to ensure that they do not allow their manager to become the same and, by sticking with the current deal, Calderwood will know that he always has to be proving himself, that he always has to be at the top of his game and, more specifically, that his team has to be at their best.
If he wants an incentive, if he wants a further reward, stick a clause in there giving him a big bonus if they earn promotion again, or even secure a top-six finish, perhaps. Although I wouldn't be surprised if that exists already.
Let's be honest, Nigel Doughty is no mug, when it comes to business, the man is clearly very astute.
In the past, he may just have fallen into the trap of not running Forest like a business, of allowing himself to be swayed by people in the game to commit the club to the kind of deals that he would not have done in any of his other business interests.
But he got his fingers burned with David Platt and, since then, you get the impression that he has stiffened his resolve, that he has taken a more businesslike approach to things at the club.
And this is one situation where, in my eyes, he is exactly right.
I hope Calderwood continues to be a success. I would dearly love to see Forest challenge for a place in the Premiership.
However, I'm sorry Colin, while I hope you are still in charge in another two or three years, I am glad you did not get a new contract.