The Football League Paper

GRAHAM WESTLEY

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Our guest columnist on the half-adozen keys for club success

IWATCHED my first live game in the Football League on September 16, 1974, when Brentford lost 4-3 at home to Rotherham United.

At that time, Division Four was populated by eight clubs that are currently at that level: Northampto­n, Cambridge, Newport, Crewe, Bradford, Mansfield, Scunthorpe and Exeter. Five clubs - Shrewsbury, Lincoln, Doncaster, Rochdale and Rotherham - now operate one level higher.

Four clubs - Swansea, Barnsley, Reading and Brentford - play two levels higher in the Championsh­ip, while seven clubs - Southport, Stockport, Torquay, Chester, Hartlepool, Workington and Darlington – have slipped into Non-League football.

To sum up, nine clubs have moved forward, while seven have dropped back.

The fortunes of any club from any given moment in time can be hugely enhanced or hugely reduced.

For me, it comes down to half a dozen key things:

1. Wages: Having a bigger payroll does not guarantee you the best players. You can easily invest your wages in the wrong players and that can become a mighty albatross as the dressing room divides.

But a good wage bill does give you a chance to pick the players that you want to pick. Lesser players can still win games; just differentl­y from

better players. So every club needs to seek to ensure that it has the sponsorshi­p, investment and backing that will fund a sufficient payroll for its ambitions.

2. Stature: If wages are equal, club stature will normally play its part in attracting players. You don’t normally find good players who prefer to play in front of a 2,000 home gate rather than a 10,000 home gate. Or in a lesser stadium rather than a superior stadium. Progress in club stature is difficult. But consider the change in perception of Reading FC as the Madejski Stadium replaced Elm Park. Deliberate and real vision drives progressio­n.

3. Organisati­on: Knowing how to do things well off the pitch is vital. An experience­d, intelligen­t and properly connected administra­tion/secretaria­t, PR structure, football network, commercial function and club infrastruc­ture are essential ingredient­s. People who can add value count. They really do. 4. Approach and Culture: To succeed you have to have a deeply ingrained approach and culture that will work for the individual club. It needs to be consistent with available resources and heartfelt from top to bottom. 5. Developmen­t Framework: The highest placed club of all those is now Brentford, who no longer have an academy. They rely upon farming overseas markets exceptiona­lly

well. The developmen­t process can be multi-faceted but it is essential that the stream of talent is consistent, in tune and strong.

6. Psychology: Add all of that up and it creates a psychology. If the psychology feels right then it represents good balance in the club’s strategy. If not then it might be time for a rethink.

Clubs that keep their eye on those six balls will tend to remain stable and make progress. Clubs that lose sight of those basics will tend to slip and fall.

Football is a cruel business and a tough business. You have to be relentless in driving for more because there is no room to rest on your laurels. Too many others want your place.

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