DEAN’S STONES ARE ON A ROLL
ON THE long journey back from Weymouth to London it dawned on Dean Brennan that he might just be on to something good.
The sing-a-long with his players was in full flow, the joy of three points in a thrilling 4-3 win over one of their promotion rivals on a sunny Bank Holiday Monday in August was seemingly unending.
Brennan’s new-look Stones were enjoying only their ninth consecutive day at the top of National League South – by the time they were crowned champions on Wednesday evening they had been there for 298.
Their top-flight return had been a long time coming as it was – 32 years which saw them fall as low as the old Isthmian Division Three.
This time last year, Brennan’s contacts book was getting a proper thumbing, having only inherited five of the team which lost in the play-off semi-finals under Bobby Wilkinson.
That day at Weymouth last August, where the Stones threw away a 3-1 lead only to still win in the last minute through Ross Lafayette’s hat-trick goal, was a moment of vindication that the boss had got it right.
“We came back on the bus that day and had a karaoke for four hours,” Brennan told The NLP.
“We had showed great character to win. You could see the togetherness and everything being created.
Philosophy
“For me, recruitment is the key to the business. Without good players and the players with the right attitude and appetite, no matter how much you believe in them it’s not going to happen for you.
“They’ve come in with a lot to prove and to a football club that’s very personal, very intimate. The supporters chat to you and if you stay behind there’s still 200 fans wanting to speak to, not just me, but the players.
“When people like Ross joined, a big influential player in the NonLeague circuit, you could see the other players were thinking this team is serious. I made a pledge a week before the season that 90 points was our aim. If someone else got more than that then we’d be the first to shake their hand.”
Brennan has been quick to praise the Wealdstone board and chairman Rory Fitzgerald, who called him at 6.45pm on Wednesday to deliver the good news on the manager’s 40th birthday no less, in giving the team a platform for success.
But the Stones hierarchy also took somewhat of a risk in appointing Brennan after two disastrous spells at Billericay Town and Kingstonian following six-and-a-half years of success at Hemel Hempstead.
“I have to thank Rory because he took a chance on us,” said Brennan. “In this business you’re only as good as your last few games, that’s how it works. If we started the season getting beat, you know what’s going to come.
“We had a really sticky season last year but with Rory we hit it off straight away. He understands the game having played it and is a successful businessman. It’s important everyone takes the credit they deserve.
“We created a no excuse environment at the club and the board have given us that. We asked for a training facility where we could have a full-size 3G pitch, twice a week. I’ve never had that as a manager in eight years.
“That was a major difference for me because I think coaching is a strong point of mine and we were able to get our philosophy through. When we were at Hemel, we worked in a little cage in the car park and at Billericay, the less said about that the better.”
Wealdstone were relentless in their pursuit for promotion and showed little signs of slowing up. A golden week in January where they won 4-2 at Havant & Waterlooville and then hammered Bath City 7-0 cemented their title credentials.
Stratosphere
The Stones were 20 points off their 90-point target with nine games remaining – in the end they finished on 89 by pointsper-game, seven ahead of Havant.
Brennan will get back to work tomorrow after a few days enjoying promotion, having discussed plans with Fitzgerald yesterday about how to tackle their National League return.
The club will stay part-time, training Monday and Thursday evenings but will look to appoint a strength and conditioning coach to help their cause in a largely full-time division.
On Tuesday, Brennan will sit down with each of his current squad to discuss whether they’re staying for another year.
“That’s the toughest bit, telling someone thanks for what you’ve done but all the best,” he added. “I can only be straight and honest and do what I think is best for the team.
“I will not change the way we play. We’ll play the front foot, attacking football, high press again. Hopefully that’s going to be successful.
“It’s exciting times ahead, can we now go and reach the real stratosphere?”