What has been the single biggest reason for the club’s successful season?
The promotion of Stuart Watkiss from youth team coach to assistant manager at the start of the season, and then to manager, brought a new sense of purpose and belief, especially for the young players Stuart had nurtured through the youth team. The success of players like Lee Williamson, who made the PFA Third Division team in his first full season, has made all the difference. Are there still areas of support for the club that could be tapped into if they continued to move up the league? We are regularly told that the Mansfield and Ashfield areas have a population in excess of 350,000 which, we are assured, is sufficient to sustain a First Division club. The amazing average gate increase from 2,300 to 5,000, and two crowds of over 8,000 at the end of the season, suggest there may be enough support to sustain genuine progress if interest can be maintained. The new stadium has a large part to play if we are to move forward. Are there still people who prefer the old Field Mill to the r
