WELLENS SPEAKS: Departure reasons, STFC loyalty, and farewell message

RICHIE WELLENS has explained to Total Sport Swindon that he hasn’t been disloyal to Swindon Town fans, stating that his decision to leave SN1 and join League Two Salford City was mainly down to family reasons. Total Sport Swindon’s Ryan Walker spoke to Wellens last night to find out more about his departure.

Signing a managerial contract at Salford City on Tuesday morning, Richie Wellens confirmed his exit from Swindon Town. 

After spending over two years at the club, Wellens said he decided to take the new role due to family reasons and said this was at the heart of his decision, before adding that he doesn’t feel he has been disloyal to Swindon fans despite stating his loyalty to the club only weeks ago.

“I can spend more time with family and I’m joining a club that is ambitious and wants to do well,” said Wellens.

“They give the managers and staff every platform to succeed and I think every manager wants to manage an ambitious club that wants to win games every single week and can compete to win promotion.

“We will be trying to earn promotion this season.

“I get a bit embarrassed about my ties with the owners because they aren’t really former teammates. They were winning Premier League titles whilst I was a reserve player at Manchester United,” he said.

“There hasn’t been a relationship with them, I haven’t seen Gary [Neville] for a long long time, and I know Nicky [Butt] and Phil [Neville] from seeing them around the United academy where both our lads play.

I’ve come in and want to see a certain style of football.

“No [the Salford job] was never on my mind,” said Wellens.

“The interest came on Monday and on Tuesday by 10am it was a done deal with contracts signed.

“I don’t think I have been disloyal at all.

"I think certain circumstances come up in peoples lives and they have to make a decision and you have to respect that decision.

“Some supporters have given me grief but I take that as a compliment,” he added.

 “Sometimes when you are hurt you vent your anger in certain ways.

“It does upset me hearing it because when I came in I had a job to do and give the fans a style they wanted to watch every week and that’s what I have done.

“It is disappointing but that’s football,” said Wellens.

Joining Swindon in November 2018, Wellens took Swindon from the bottom half of the League Two table to division champions in the space of two seasons, instilling an attractive style of football and creating a feel-good factor around the community.

And it is these reasons which made leaving Swindon such a hard decision to make said the 40-year-old.

“It was a really tough decision to leave because of the supporters that have been unbelievable with me at Swindon,” stated Wellens.

“They sing my name, the atmosphere is brilliant and they allowed me time, especially during my first season.

“I got my ideas across in a structured way and they were patient in the first season and they could see I was building something that would challenge for promotion.

“I want to say thanks to the fans for being patient and last season was just unbelievable to be a part of and will stay with me forever,” he added.

“I think all the staff at the club will say they’ve enjoyed working with me and I can’t say a bad word about anyone at Swindon Town because everyone has been a pleasure to work with.

“I’ve learnt that If you give supporters a style of football they like and you bond with them in the community then they can be powerful. 

“Supporters are the most powerful thing in football,” said Wellens.

Dropping down to League Two with Salford is seen as a risk by many critics and supporters, but with massive funds behind the club, Wellens knows he will be given massive financial backing, something he didn’t have at Swindon. 

When asked about dropping down a division, Wellens admitted it was a risk to take but that he was excited by the challenge.

“Every appointment you go into is a risk,” said Wellens.

“Supporters didn’t know what to expect when I came to Swindon.

“Is it a risk? Yes.

“But if I’m being honest, it is that risk which excites me and I see it as a good challenge,” he said.

Wellens also gave an update on Swindon’s remaining coaching staff, saying he would leave it up to Tommy Wright and Noel Hunt as to whether they want to join him at Salford.

“That’s up to them [if they want to join me] and they will make the decision,” he said.

“If Noel Hunt wants to stay then I’ll leave that up to him to decide, that’s his choice.

“I’ve had a great relationship with them and have worked with Tommy before and known him for 15years,” added Wellens.

An ongoing court case surrounding the legal ownership of the club is set to be concluded before the end of the year, with Swindon fans on tender-hooks about the future of their club.

But whilst he didn’t want to comment on the ongoing case involving club owner Lee Power, Wellens said not knowing what would happen certainly played on his mind.

“It’s just the unknown with the court case and for any football club you don’t want unknowns,” explained Wellens.

“As a manager, you want to know what’s going on around you and it’s a situation that the football club doesn’t know what’s going to happen.

“My relationship with Lee Power is solid and always will be.

“I asked Lee if I could speak to Salford and I had it in my contract that once I spoke to the Chairman then I could move on and no one could stop me,” he said.

Leaving a squad that he has built up to challenge in League One this season, Wellens was asked about the potential of the current crop of players at STFC. 

Analysing the squad, Wellens feels that they have enough to win games and stay in the league but admitted injuries were a massive problem.

“Look at the injured players that they have,” he said.

“Hunt, Baudry, Fryers, Conroy, Iandolo, that’s a good defensive five players not available for selection. 

“You’ve got young players where it is their first loan, so you need to give these lads time but you need injuries back and to be able to pick a settled back four week in week out,” he said.

“Can Swindon compete this season? Of course they can with that squad, but they need players to step up.

"They can definitely win games and compete.

“Anthony Grant wasn’t one of the more vocals players last season and now you’re asking him to do something he isn’t used to,” he added.

“You’ve got a core of players that now need to step.

“We lost a huge part of the dressing room in Doyle, Rose, and McCormick, the best characters and the most demanding players last season when they all left the club,” said Wellens.

Wanting to give a final message to Swindon fans, Wellens gave the following farewell statement and urged fans to back the new manager:

“I have really fond memories and they will always have a place in my heart,” said Wellens.

“It was a fantastic brilliant season but please understand I’ve taken this decision for my family and please respect that. 

“Sometimes you can have an opinion without knowing the full facts which a person is facing.

“Support your new manager that comes in and give him a chance to carry on that success,” finished Wellens.