Chester City: Interview with outgoing Blues boss Mark Wright

Jun 25 2009 Chester Chronicle

(To link to this interview please use this - http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/chester-city-fc/chester-city-fc-news/2009/06/25/chester-city-interview-with-outgoing-blues-boss-mark-wright-59067-23969085/  )

MARK Wright’s third spell as Chester City manager came to an end this week after admitting he fears the Blues will not be able to compete for Blue Square Premier promotion.

The former Liverpool and England defender, while working under a Football League-imposed transfer embargo, was unable to keep City in League Two last season.

Now Wright, who guided Chester out of the non-league wilderness during his first stint at the club, does not believe they will make an instant return to the Football League. That led to his departure on Monday by mutual consent following talks with owner Stephen Vaughan.

Wright spoke to The Chronicle on Tuesday. Paul Wheelock asked the questions.

Q. After Chester were relegated you indicated you would like to stay at the club, so how did you come to the decision to leave?

When the club was in administration I became a little bit frustrated with not being able to bring players in. I’m a winner and I want to achieve things.

If I’d been able to put my side together last season we wouldn’t have gone down, whereas now I don’t think I’d be able to bring the players in that I want.

Stephen wants to run the club as a business and I totally understand that given the club has just come out of administration. But I didn’t think the budget would compete with the big boys in the Conference.

Because of that, and because of the 10-point deficit, I didn’t think we’d be able to chase one of those play-offs spots. So to stay around and take money for the sake of taking the money would have been morally wrong.

I have won the Conference before and, with the right resources, I could have won it again, but at this moment in time, with where the club is at, it wouldn’t be right for me to stay.

The chairman and I will stay friends and I thank him for the help he’s given me and it’s a big shame to leave.

Q. Was it a hard decision? And given what happened last season, were you tempted to make the decision earlier?

I can honestly say there were times last season when I was having long talks with my friends, my children and my partner Sue about my future. But, at that time, I had to stand by the players and fight. It wouldn’t have been right to bail ship. That, and my friendship with the chairman, was the reason why I fought on.

Q. What do you feel are Chester’s prospects for next season?

I’m sure the chairman will want them pushing for promotion because that’s the ilk of the man. He’s a winner and he deserves the best.

But, without having a big budget and with the 10-point deficit, I think they will be consolidating. If they consolidate, come next year they won’t get the parachute payment from the Football League and then it becomes even harder.

Q. What’s next for Mark Wright?

I’m fortunate that I’ve got outside interests and I’ve been away since the end of the season with the Liverpool old boys, going to the Caribbean and playing games. I’ve got more trips coming up and I’m really enjoying it, but football is in my blood and sooner or later I’d like to get involved in management again.

Q. Have you got a message for the fans?

I’d really like to thank them for all the time they were good to me, especially last season. The chairman and myself worked tirelessly behind the scenes to convince the authorities to allow us to bring players in.

I know if the Football League had allowed us to do that, I would have got them safe. I really hope the fans get behind the team next season and give them a real push.