“Committed” Non Leaguue footballer Mark Wilson is trying to reinvent himself as a serious person as assistant manager of Stocksbridge Park Steels
Words and pictures by James Grayson (@jamesAgrayson, @NonLeagueNorth)
As we conclude the interview, my interviewee adds: “I’m not here to be the entertainment manager.”
It’s an important point as Mark Wilson is out to change the perception of him and is aiming to have people view him as a serious person in his new position as the assistant manager of Stocksbridge Park Steels in the Evo Stik Division One South.
He’s made a good start as people don’t even recognise him as the long hair has long gone.
But, his main aim is to shed the tag of being the clown prince of Non League Football and make a new name for himself as Chris Hilton’s right-hand man.
People forget that he has had a glorious career in Non League Football and that it has spanned over 900 matches and contained many memorable moments – Emley’s trip to West Ham been the prime example.
“I’ve got a point to prove,” he says.
“I’m here to prove all the doubters wrong.
“Stocksbridge and Chris have given me a chance and I will take it.
“I won’t be doing anything stupid to jeopardise the position I have got.
“I’ve tasted been on the management staff at Ossett Town where I think we did particularly well to say the budget was a small one and also because it got cut after the first month.
“I know what I expect from players. I want them to have the same desire and passion that I had.
“I know that everyone thinks I am a bit of a joker and a clown, but 900 and odd appearances in Non League Football shows that I am committed to football and I want to be committed on the management side.”
Mark Wilson being presented with a memento for his 900th appearance in Non League Football from Darren Hepworth and AFC Emley treasurer Ian Steele in May 2013
Wilson, 42, began his Non League career in 1992 at Frickley Athletic under his “mentor” Ronnie Glavin after being released from Huddersfield Town.
Moves to Tommy Graham’s Farsley Celtic and then Bradford (Park Avenue) followed before his career defining move to Emley AFC – Glavin’s new club.
Wilson was one of Glavin’s heroes as the village club captured the country’s hearts with the incredible run to the FA Cup third round where they almost beat Premier League West Ham.
He had brief parting from Glavin with moves to Harrogate Town, back to Avenue, Ossett Town and Albion until Emley came calling again.
He then joined Glavin at Worksop Town in 2003 and enjoyed a memorable three years at Sandy Lane.
Avenue came back for him in 2006 and a third spell at Horsfall was followed by a sojourn at Buxton before his final stint as a player under Glavin at the newly-named Wakefield FC.
“I owe Ronnie Glavin a lot,” he interjects when his mentor’s name comes up in the conversation.
“I wasn’t the easiest, if I say student, for Ronnie, but I have the upmost respect for Ronnie Glavin.
“He sacked me three times, but I must have had something because he took me to every club he was at.
“I hadn’t spoken to Ronnie on the phone or face-to-face for probably three years, maybe longer, and on New Year’s Eve, I was going through my phone and wishing everyone a ‘happy new year.
“I don’t go out on New Year’s Eve as I spend it with my family, but Ronnie’s number came up so I personally text him saying ‘thank you for everything he had done for me’.
“He responded straightforward and said ‘I was a pleasure to coach’.
“I just said ‘if I had listened, I would have gone further’.
“I seem to relate to in conversations about styles of play by saying ‘my old mentor said this or taught me this’ and that mentor is Ronnie Glavin.
“Ronnie Glavin made me a good Non League player, but I hadn’t been so wild I could have gone further.”
Mark Wilson stood on the side-lines at Handsworth during Stocksbridge’s recent 3-0 defeat
Stocksbridge players have been enjoying their coaching sessions under Hilton and Wilson for nearly two months.
The pair are hoping to revitalise the club which was relegated from the Premier Division last season.
It’s going to be a big job – one that begins at Norton United on Saturday – but, it was an opportunity that Wilson sought himself by contacting Hilton.
“I presumed his back room staff were going with him when he got the job,” he said.
“But, Dave Mace took over at Worsbrough so I gave Chris a call having known him and previously playing with him.
“I just said ‘would you consider me’? We met and he asked me why and asked me a lot of questions about what I could bring to the club.
“I sold myself by the motivation side, the will to win, passion, commitment and also my knowledge of this league and above and below.
“I go watch a lot of games so I have a good repertoire with ex managers, directors, secretaries, chairmen and that’s also because of the bubbly character I am.”
The Stocksbridge Park Steels dream team: physio Shaun Handisides, manager Chris Hilton and assistant Mark ‘Willy’ Wilson
Bubbly is one way of putting it. Wilson carved out a reputation for his sheer enthusiasm and passion during his playing career that is not over just yet.
He has registered as a player, but he assures me that the days of bringing inflatable hammers on away trips are a thing of the past and that he isn’t at Bracken Moor to be in charge of entertainment.
He might even walk into some of his old haunts without anyone shouting ‘ay-up Willy’.
The clippers came out earlier this year – not that he wanted to get them out.
“People aren’t recognising me,” he says.
“I preferred the long hair, but obviously as you get older it gets thiner so I had to take the drastic action of going from long hair to nothing at all.
“A lot of people say it has made me look ten years younger, but I’m not as noticeable on-and-off-the-pitch.
“I’m not that glad about that because a lot of the time I have to say ‘it’s me Willy, remember, and I have to reminisce about an old story’.
“People look twice, where as before they were like ‘there’s Willy’.”
He’s really trying to succeed at Stocksbridge with Hilton. Good luck to them.