DRAGONS’ LAIR
Dean Keates reveals his plan to finally end Wrexham’s Football League exile
DEAN Keates is not eager to discuss last season. Nobody, least of all Wrexham supporters, should be surprised.
Over the last 13 years, those hardy souls have endured the ignominy of relegation from the EFL, failed title challenges, play-off heartbreak and endless false dawns.
Yet even by recent standards, the 2019-20 campaign was dismal. Parked in the relegation zone for lengthy spells, the Reds were a shot-shy, insipid imitation of the side that finished fourth in the table in 2018-19.
Though form improved when Keates returned to the Racecourse in October to replace Bryan Hughes, a run of one win in five matches pre-lockdown left National North just one ugly run from claiming another illustrious victim. The season’s premature termination came as a blessed relief.
Disappointment has festered, not dissipated, over an interminable summer hiatus. A quick glimpse at any forum or social media stream shows optimism in short supply.
Now Keates, a former Wrexham player with six career promotions who previously spent 18 months in the dugout before leaving to join Walsall in October 2018, must attempt to lift the gloom.
“Last season was bitterly disappointing,” says the 42-yearold. “And there’s no getting away from the fact that the club has been down here too long,
“It’s 13 years. We’re an established Non-League club, and you know what? It’s hard to admit that. It’s hard to accept. But it’s what we are.
“What we’ve got to do now is get this club back to what it’s been throughout that time in the National League – a challenger, a team that’s knocking on the door.
“It’s been hard this summer. The fact that we couldn’t finish the season, then we’ve had five and a half months without football.
“There’s been a lot of time to reflect, a lot of doom and gloom. It’s the worst season the club has had in the National League, so that’s understandable.
“But what happened is done.
Finished. I’m not going to pick through the bones. You have to close the book on that chapter and start writing a new one. Hopefully, it’ll be one with a happy conclusion come May.”
Opportunity
For many at the racecourse, the story is certainly over. Skipper Shaun Pearson, highly-rated keeper Rob Lainton and midfielder Luke Young were among a small handful of players retained from last season. At the time of writing, just 11 firstteam players are under contact.
“I had to take a lot into consideration at the end of the season,” explains Keates. “Some players, individually, their performances were OK for me.
“But I had to take stock of the whole situation and it was a case of ‘OK, the vast majority are out of contract – this is an opportunity to hit the reset button’. It was the right thing, to rejuvenate the place, to get some fresh faces and fresh impetus.
Give the fans a lift, and a bit of optimism.”
Rebuilding has already started, with winger Elliott Durrell joining from Altrincham and 28-year-old full-back Jamie Reckord signed on a oneyear deal from Solihull Moors.
Durrell, 31, played alongside Keates at Wrexham in 2014-15 and won promotion to the EFL with Macclesfield Town in 2018.
Reckord, meanwhile, is a former Wolves trainee who has spent the last three years as a regular at Solihull Moors.
“Both lads come with a wealth of experience at the level,” says Keates. “Elliott’s had a couple of promotions, he’s been in the Football League. He was one of the younger players in our dressing room, still earning the right to play.
“Now, he’s been about. He knows the game. He’s scored goals in the Football League. He has that quality and he comes back as an older head with a lot of experience.
“Recks has played for some big EFL clubs as well and he’s been pushing to get back to that level with his performances in the National League. For me, you could probably say he’s the best full-back in the division, certainly in his position.”
Expectations
Despite the additions, Keates’ reconstruction has not been helped by news that Wrexham’s playing budget (including travel and staff costs) has been slashed to £970,000, a drop of nearly £300,000 on last season.
Keates, though, says such a hefty reduction is a reflection of the financial uncertainty caused by the Covid crisis and will likely be mirrored across the game. “I’d be very, very surprised if we’re alone,” he insists. “From the top – and I mean from the Premier League down – I think you’ll find the vast majority of teams have cut their budgets.
“The main turnover and source of revenue at this level is getting fans through the door. With attendance reduced, it’s going to hurt most football clubs.
“But it is what it is. You deal with it. There’s no point moaning about problems, it’s about finding solutions. And that means working within a budget to get the best quality available.
“Covid has changed football, and some players are still turning up with unrealistic expectations of what their earning capability is. You speak to others and they understand the predicament, not just of football but in almost every employment sector across the country.
“It’s about making sure that every deal you put across is right for the player and right for the club financially.
This year, it’s more essential than ever to get the recruitment right.”
Does Keates support the #letfansin campaign?
“I’ve seen the hashtag flying around on social media,” says the former Walsall, Hull City, and Peterborough United midfielder.
“And it’s a difficult one, isn’t it? We have to be mindful that a vast amount of lives have been lost to this pandemic.
“At the same time, we’re in a situation where you can go to the gym. You can go to pubs. People are gathering outdoors, going to beaches, etc.
“You understand that side, but first and foremost it has to be about the health and safety of the public. When the right time is upon us to let fans in, I’m sure it’ll happen.”
Ultimately, though, Keates is convinced he will be able to recruit a team capable of lifting the spirits of a disillusioned fanbase.
“We have to live up to what the expectations for this football club are,” he says. “And that’s something I’ll explain to every player coming in.
“Part of playing for Wrexham is that the fans are very, very passionate. They want to see everybody sweating blood for the football club.
“That’s something we all have to deal with, and it’s about recruiting personalities that can handle pressure.
“For anyone who joins this club, it’s about making sure that the name on the front of the shirt is more important than the name on the back.”
We live have to up to the expectations for this club. And that’s something I’ll explain to every player coming in
Dean Keates