Archived News from April 2013
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CAROLYN & JOHN RADFORD EXPECTING FIRST CHILD
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21 April 2013
John Radford announced at the end of season dinner on Sunday that he and Carolyn are expecting their first child. Congratulations from Stagsnet -------------- Radfords announce that they are expecting their first child as Stags celebrate title victory chad.co.uk 21/04/2013 The celebrations continued for Mansfield Town Football Club tonight with owner John Radford announcing that he and wife Carolyn are expecting their first child in October. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-fc/radfords-announce-that-they-are-expecting-their-first-child-as-stags-celebrate-title-victory-1-5603084 Radford made the announcement at the club’s annual presentation night as the team continued their celebrations after winning the BSBP title the day before - a year on from Radford’s promise 12 months earlier at the same dinner that his side would be champions this year. Tonight he made the announcement about the baby and then offered further encouragement to his promoted side by saying: “Now let’s smash League Two!” Earlier in the season manager Paul Cox was married the weekend of his birthday and the home FA Cup tie with Liverpool and the Radfords’ announcement during the weekend of winning the title crowned an amazing year for the owner and everyone associated with Mansfield Town. In the presentations, Adam Murray was a clear winner of the Chad Readers’ Player of the Year. The Stags skipper also picked up the Board of Directors’ Player of the Year and the Stags Supporters’ Association Player of the Year and the Emma Stamp Memorial Trophy for Most Man of the Matches Award. Top scorer Matt Green was the Manager’s Player of the Year and Ollerton Stags Supporters’ Player of the Season as well as taking the club’s Golden Boot for his 27 goals. Players’ Player of the Year went to defender Luke Jones. The SSA Young Player of the Year Jack Retter Trophy went to Liam Marsden while Youth Team Players’ Player was Jack Thomas -------------------- CAROLYN RADFORD: We aim to take Mansfield to the Premier League within five years, but we need to avoid the play-offs... because last time I was arrested! 23 April 2013 Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2313279/The-Footballers-Football-Column--Carolyn-Radford-Announces-pregnancy-Mansfield-chief-celebrates-promotion-Football-League.html#ixzz2RePTNGKd Mansfield chief executive Carolyn Radford returns for her latest Footballers' Football Column with a celebration special after the Stags' promotion back to the Football League. She lifts the lid on the club's promotion party and bonkers final day of the season. Radford also explains why winning the league is only part of the reason she is celebrating at the moment. Saturday was just a sensational day. Getting promoted as champions was our aim all season, but when we did it, it almost didn't seem real. It was like being in shock. It came down to the last game of the season, and it was between us and Kidderminster at the top, but their game got delayed half-way through due to the crowd trouble. So we had the conference chairman sitting behind us telling us everything that was going on. Kidderminster had already scored three or four goals at that point but we were only one nil up so it was really touch and go. We needed a win to win the title but if Wrexham had equalised that would have been it. It was so nerve-racking. At the final whistle it was just an explosion of emotion and jubilation. The fans were brilliant - it was like a carnival atmosphere - and everybody was so delighted. It was a sense of relief more than anything. Everybody went down to the centre of the pitch and it was fantastic. The conference trophy had actually been in the back of a Ford Mondeo on a motorway service station waiting to see who would win, so that was funny. But we were glad it made its way to us. After all the celebrations at the stadium had died down my husband John, the chairman, took the payers out to a curry house in Mansfield to celebrate and he was there until about one o'clock. But I think the players may have carried on a little bit longer. On Sunday we had our end of season party and it may have been the quickest party anyone has ever organised! We were trying to hedge our bets and we weren't sure about doing it on the Sunday in case the result hadn't gone our way - staying in the play-offs would have felt like a loss. But we got a marquee put up at the club and got some outside caterers in so it was a good night. We had presentations and awards so I was the hostess with the mostest. But all the players and staff and sponsors came and it was a fantastic night. I think a few people were still nursing hangovers from Saturday night but it was a great way to end the season. We've been in great form recently, even though it's been really busy. I think the FA Cup tie against Liverpool in January gave the players a bit of a boost. It showed them how good they could potentially be. It definitely gave them that morale boost and then we got on that winning streak. We were always aiming for promotion but we really wanted to be champions. But the manager Paul Cox took it game by game. We won 21 of our 25 league games in 2013, but we lost twice in ten days in mid-April - against Wrexham and Braintree - and it was then that we became seriously worried. It was a concerning moment but we had to pick ourselves up and carry on that good form. And that's what we did. But I am pleased that we've got a couple of weeks now of peace and calm and without that sick, nervous feeling we've all had the past few of weeks. We'll have a few weeks off now and then it's going to be looking at contracts for next year and beginning the preparations for the move back in to the Football League. There was speculation that Paul might be leaving in the middle of the season, but we're so pleased we held on to this group. We've got a core group of players and staff that we want to talk to. We don't want to hold anybody back and we want to make sure that anybody who is at the football club wants to be here. We want to make sure all our players want to play for Mansfield and that we keep that sense of community and team spirit, because it's been so important these last few months as we've aimed for the title. It's also been a bit of a double championship for me as I am now expecting a baby! I've known for a couple of months but it was some more added excitement at the end of the season! If it's a boy I don't know whether to name it Paul after the manager or Matt after Matt Green, the scorer of the winner on Saturday! John and I have a five year plan for the club. For John that ends with us reaching the Championship but for me it's definitely us getting in to the Premier League. But we really want to get in there next season and smash League Two. We set goals at the start of each season and so far we've met them all. Firstly we had to make sure we were eligible for promotion because when we took over, Mansfield didn't actually own the ground. So we had to make sure we got over that first predicament so we could actually get promoted. Then promotion was the next goal, and to do that by winning the championship is absolutely great. We're going to plough all of the revenue and prize money straight back in to the club. Promotion next year for us is absolutely a realistic target. And we want to be champions, too. I got arrested the last time we were in the play-offs so we should probably avoid that again! But I can't take the stress of the play-offs. Anybody involved in football knows it's the most nerve wrecking experience there is. Last time we were in it we were favourites but still got knocked out. So we want to avoid that. We're thinking of going to Brentford on Saturday as they play Doncaster in the winner takes all final match day in League One. John's company is the shirt sponsor for Doncaster so we might go along. It will be nice to go to a match and actually enjoy a game of football rather than being sick with nerves! My nails might fare a bit better. On a final note, we had our own run in with Luis Suarez when he scored a handball goal against us in the FA Cup earlier this season, but Sunday's incident is pretty extraordinary. He never has a quiet game, does he? But the Liverpool fans love him and there's talk he wants to stay there for years, so I don't think they'll want to get rid of him. Maybe he'll be made captain next week - that's the kind of career he has! He does have this bad streak but he is a world class player, so I suspect he'll probably stick around for a bit longer. ------------------- |
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