Stones chief hails boss after promotion
Wealdstone chairman Howard Krais has labelled long-serving boss Gordon Bartlett “the best manager in non-League football” after the club sealed promotion to the Conference South.
The Stones won 1-0 at Margate on Tuesday to clinch the Ryman Premier Division title and next season will play at their highest level of football in more than 20 years.
Bartlett, who has also managed Yeading, Hounslow and Southall, took charge of the Stones in 1995 and has masterminded several promotions.
And Krais believes the one-time Brentford striker deserves the plaudits for assembling a side which has won their league at a canter.
He told West London Sport: “To win the title with three games still to play is a fantastic achievement.
“We’ve dominated the league, only losing four games all season, and so much credit has to go to Gordon and the team.
“It’s not just them though, everyone associated with the club has played their part, supporters included, and that’s transferred to the players.
“I’m hugely proud of it, but when you’ve got the best manager in non-League football you can’t go wrong.
“We lost a lot of players at the end of last year but the people Gordon has brought in have been fantastic for us.
“Scott McGleish, for example – he’s 40 but he plays like a 26-year-old. Glen Little has been brilliant too, as have Elliot Godfrey and Mark Bentley.
“That experience we have brought in has paid dividends for us and it’s had a noticeable impact on younger players like Tom Pett.”
With an average gate of 659, Wealdstone will be among the best supported clubs in the Conference South next season.
But Krais insists that will not necessarily be reflected in the budget, despite their work off the field.
He said: “The crowds are up because there’s a lot of families coming and the dads are happy because it’s not costing them a fortune.
“We’ve built up the club on and off the field. Some clubs just throw money at the team but for us it’s about how you treat your sponsors, how you involve the community and the kids.
“We will be in the lower reaches [of the Conference South] budget-wise and it’ll be down to Gordon to do what he wants with that to consolidate.”
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