Dunn reflects on Town's success

AS the curtain comes down on Warrington Town’s most successful season for many years manager Joey Dunn reflects on the past 12 months with a special vote of thanks to those working hard behind the scenes.
Joey said: “The club is in a period of transition with a view to increasing the profile through success on the pitch and its standing financially off it, which is with a view to having a club which sustains its progress through its support through the turnstiles, and engagement of local businesses who would want to be associated with a club which is progressing through the non league ladder.
“The work on the pitch is totally my remit and the support of the board in doing this is integral. To this end I cannot thank the board of directors enough for their support and efforts to enable me to do this.
The endeavours and work that has occurred, and the plans to take the club forward are both ambitious and exciting and are testimony to all the individuals supporting behind the scenes.
“The current economic picture is difficult to say the least and we have discussed how we would be best suited to overcoming this whilst progressing and the board have been completely accommodating and supportive in this approach.
“I personally thank them all for their efforts and I feel certain that if the supporters understood completely, the work that goes on and hurdles that have to be jumped, they would be like me, in being very thankful for the people we have on the board.
“The people who give up their time to help prepare the team/ground on match days are too many to mention, you know who you are and your efforts do not go unnoticed, especially by the team and staff, and we understand that you are an integral part of what characterises this club, togetherness. Thanks you for all your efforts.
“Next I would like to thanks the guys who support me in football matters. I have occupied the position of reserve team manager at a few clubs and understand that it is somewhat a thankless task, often made more difficult by me poking my nose in on training and playing days, but the two guys who have carried the mantle this season have done a really good job.
“A key aspect as a manager is having staff that I can feel totally trustworthy of and it is something which had to be rectified last year to galvanise the playing side of things. To this end I would like to thank Danny Salt and Aiden Warder, two ex-team mates who I trusted as team mates and feel totally vindicated in having as reserve team manager and assistant.
“Danny has an ambition to progress in management and his approach is one which has served both him and the club excellently throughout the season and Aiden was my assistant at Trafford in my first job in management and has been a friend for over twenty years and his languid approach is a great asset to have as assistant, and I know Danny feels this as I did, when I worked directly with him.
One of the things synonymous with Warrington Town is the Cantilever Bowling green!!!!, but I cannot speak highly enough of the work that has gone to changing this over the course of the season. I am sure you all know John Barton and would join me in congratulating him on his work this season. In previous seasons the pitch is devoid of grass from mid September to mid April. But John’s work this season has seen the pitch improve dramatically. I can recollect the last game last season when the pitch looked brown, but as I am sure you can see today the improvements are there for all to see. I am not sure if you know the time and effort John puts in but I cannot thank him enough. His commitment and work ethic on a voluntary basis is phenomenal, and I have had the privilege to get to know him personally and his friendship and support for us has been truly fabulous this season. Thanks John and hopefully the money spent in the close season will make your job easier and even more fruitful next.
Not many will be aware but I like my coffee and Lynn looks after me on that score on match days, so thanks to Lynn!”
“Geoff Bell is in his first season as secretary and has probably had an eye opener as to the length of the hours of the task. I have lost count the times I have been to his house at nine or ten at night after signing players to get the forms registered in time for games, and he has never moaned, so thanks to Geoff and good luck for your forthcoming Wedding to Sharon in May.
“Thanks also to Chris Henshall for his match day support. Chris is good for me, because he keeps me on my toes, checking players’ registration and shirt numbers and his after match discussions around the decisions throughout the games. I off load on him after games, but as Chris has been a top official in the game, I realise after I have calmed down somewhat, that he is usually right!
“Lastly from behind the scenes, but not least, I would like to thank the people who are my right and left hand men and woman, Stuart, James and physio Nicky. Nicky is often bombarded on training nights with up to ten or twelve players sometimes from the first and reserve teams, but I am sure the players will join in, in thanking me for her efforts and endeavours in her work and her efforts to educate them on better preparation and self care.
“Stuart enjoys a love hate relationship with the players, they hate the work he makes them do, but love the benefits and understanding they develop because of it. Stuart is a true professional in all he does, a highly successful business man in his own right, and when you see the lengths he goes to, to prepare training and for games it is easy to see why. He has a great contrasting style to me and I like to think we compliment each other well. The best quality he has is his honesty and this is why we often disagree completely about things but why I guess we work so well. We both care very much for what we do but know if we disagree it is for genuine reasons. He will never be a yes man and that’s how it must be.
“I learned when I managed Trafford that I took on too much on match days to be as successful as I wanted and that is why we brought James in this season, and he has probably been the best thing the club has done this season. The players are grateful for his professionalism and integrity and both Stuart and I would feel like we had lost a limb if he were not here. He does everything except pick the team, but would probably do that better than me, if the rest of his work were anything to go by. The management of the club is very much a team approach and the work we do is as a team, so cheers to you both.
“From a playing perspective I feel that you can see the strides the team has taken throughout the season, and but for a blip in Feb and March I believe we would have been in the mix for the play-offs, but maybe it is a blessing as it has shown us where we have been deficient in sustaining the necessary standards required to be successful over the season. I cannot thank the players enough and their efforts and work rate through the season has been tremendous. I have always been very clear that to be a good footballer you have to be a good human being, a position which can only be achieved by being honest in all you do. I feel now that we have a group of players who, when I give a shirt to them, I will get all they have to give on the pitch. I know we have had some bad days over the season, but that has not been down to effort, mistakes yes, but never lack of honest endeavour. I know some views expressed by the spectators has sometimes been that it seems that the players don’t care, but I can assure you that isn’t the case with this group. We have some really talented individuals at the club now, all offering different qualities in their play, which goes to making us a good side, and with the addition of a few more n

ew, quality, faces throughout the summer we feel that it is only a matter of time before we start to see success on a more regular basis on the pitch.
“Over the last few weeks we have brought in Sam and Connor who I am sure you will agree have been a breath of fresh air and will be real quality players in the coming seasons, and they have been the last of the recruits over a transitional season in moving the team from perennial strugglers (press label, not mine) to a much more respected side in a very tough division. After the game at Colwyn Bay one of the spectators commented that we have never had this many points at this time of the season, so I know we are going the right way. This view is also endorsed when speaking to other managers after games, when they comment that we have many players now all over the pitch that other teams have to be aware of. We have a much more balanced squad now in terms of quality experienced players allied to creative flair players and the view is that as next season progresses we will reap the reward of the recruitment policy we have pursued up to this point. I know next season we will have no fear of going anywhere to get a result and we know what we have to do to achieve this, and that will start next week, when I will be pursuing the players I have earmarked to take us to the next level.
“You may wonder why I have chosen to go to the depths I have in this summation of the season, but for me it is important to highlight the integral parts/ people which are required to make a successful team. They all have their importance and they all go towards that success. I believe the club has never been in such a good position for many years and really want to give you supporters a team to shout about.
“I have saved my thanks to the supporters till last. The growth in support in the last 15 months has been magnificent and the barmy army’s reputation now goes before them. As I have said before the players and staff really enjoy the great support we have had, none more so than at Ossett on Tuesday. I know we have enjoyed some really good days this season and some of the players have even joined the barmy army when they have been unavailable, but that is recognition of the affinity and bond we have as a club and is something which we are looking to build on as the months and seasons go by, that is what makes non league, and to a greater degree Warrington Town a great club to be at.
“It would be remiss of me not to mention two of our team who have sadly left us during the course of the season. Firstly earlier this season we lost Simon who provided the food for the spectators in the snack bar and the players after games; and then on the morning of the Chorley game last Saturday, Ivan, one of the founder member’s of the barmy army. Losing those close to us is always a sad time and we as a club felt the sad loss on both occasions. They were part of the club and will be in our thoughts as we close the season.
“I had the good fortune of playing for Warrington Town as a player and I still get a buzz when I drive to the ground to know I am the manager of this club, a club I care very much about, and players who play for me have to feel that here, as I know that the supporters feel the same. We are very much a club and that is what will prove to be the foundation of any success we achieve here, being a club.
“I have really enjoyed the success we have had this season and shared the frustrations at differing points also, but I know that we all want the same things for Warrington Town, more success. Let’s hope we can end the season on a high and I look forward to seeing everyone in July for the pre-season friendlies. Thanks again for all your support, words of wisdom, honest criticism but most of all the fact that you care about the club!