On That Day - Chris Wilder and Alfreton Town

On 7th September 2001 The Alfreton edition of the Mansfield Chad newspaper reported the signing of defender Chris Wilder by Alfreton Town FC. It was the start of a season long relationship with the former Football League player and saw him transform the fortunes of the club as it won 4 trophies and started the rise up the football pyramid for the Reds. 

The Town Ground in 2001/02









Chad break the news of Chris Wilder signing.





















Early in season 2001/02 Alfreton Town were starting their 3rd season in the regional Northern Counties East League (NCEL). They were lucky to have an ambitious owner in Wayne Bradley who had funded 2 unsuccessful promotion challenges previously. 

The season hadn't started very well for the Reds and manager Jason Maybury managed to get the experienced defender down to the Town Ground to help build the team for another promotion push. 

Wilder had enjoyed a career in the Football League but his professional career ended due to injury, however, he was able to do a job for Alfreton Town.





An experienced defender who knew how to read the game, his passing and organisation of the team would become an integral part of the success that season.

Chris Wilder (white, 2) takes a free kick at Pickering Town.

A 4th defeat of the season at Selby Town in early October saw the manager’s job advertised, with Wilder getting the nod from Chairman, Wayne Bradley. I spoke to Mr Bradley earlier this week and I asked if it was true that Chris was the only candidate to say promotion was attainable that season. The Chairman told me that "There were no other candidates". He remembered the discussion with Chris relating to taking on the managers position. "We had calculated that to get out of the NCEL we could afford to lose only 1 more league game, having looked at previous promoted clubs points total and I said do you think you could do that". Chris confirmed he could if he was given the tools to do the job. 


 Those tools were indeed provided, particularly the strike partnership of the "God Squad" Mick Godber and Micky Goddard. 

The Wilder's inspired Alfreton went on a run,  to the end of the season with just 1 league defeat.

Glapwell, with a fully committed team beat the Reds 1-0 and repelled wave after wave of attacks to keep their clean sheet. 

Though defeats came in cup competitions, this was the only league game were no points were gleaned under his management. Alfreton Town won 4 trophies that season, they did the treble in the NCEL of President Cup, League Cup and most importantly, the Premier Division Championship add to that the Derbyshire Senior Cup and Reds fans were seeing success never experienced before on that scale. 

 
Chris Wilder, Supporters POY 2001/02

Chris Wilder, Chairman Wayne Bradley & Assistant David Lloyd with the 4 trophies.













Not surprisingly Chris moved on at the end of that season as his former club, Halifax Town, came looking for a new manager. The people associated with Alfreton Town are, rightly, proud to have been there at the start of his managerial career and we were lucky to see the fantastic bunch of players he gathered at Alfreton Town. Though I’m far from a Sheffield United fan it is great to see him do so well at the club he supports because Chris Wilder is also a nice guy.

I was lucky enough to meet up with him pitch side a couple of times at Halifax Town games as I was taking photos for the Non-League Directory. He always came over and asked how it was going at Alfreton. Me, a nobody photographer, and Chris Wilder made time for a chat. The same would happen at Chesterfield reserve games where I was just after a game to watch and Chris was looking for players. 

So, 7th September 2001 is an historic date for Alfreton Town as it was announced Chris Wilder was signing, none of us knew then that he would be responsible for the start of the journey that took Alfreton Town from the NCEL to the National League.

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