Impassioned Wilder vents frustrations over takeover saga

The Cobblers boss has largely kept his opinions to himself during the last few weeks but speaking after Saturday’s win, he revealed a series of remarkable revelations in a passionate and emotional interview.

Wilder confirmed he’s turned down a couple of enquiries to stay at Northampton due to the prospect of working with Kelvin Thomas, who’s in talks to buy the club, while the Town manager also revealed that Marc Richards recently turned down an offer from “a top, top team” in League Two to remain at Sixfields.

Wilder also urged chairman David Cardoza to complete what he described as “100 per cent the best deal” with Thomas ahead of Friday’s administration hearing in court.

He said: “I’m exhausted because there’s a deal to be done – I know there’s a deal to be done.

“I’ve not said anything because I’ve gone along with it and trusted that things would be looked after.

“But the players and staff are pulling rabbits out of hats and it’s just remarkable how we keep going in this period.

“There’s a deal that will take this club forward, that will give it a bright future, that challenges out of this division, that challenges in the next division, that challenges to try and get in the Championship.

“There’s a deal to be done that would get the stand build. How many more years will we look at that empty stand?

“It’s 100 per cent the best deal. I totally respect the other guys and previous directors at this football club but that’s a rescue act and there’s a deal on the table to be had where he (Kelvin Thomas) will bring everybody in together.

“It’s not just me because I know him. I know the deal and I’m a football manager – if I lose games of football, everybody asks about my position regardless if my dad’s the chairman or somebody I know is the chairman.

“We’re playing with people’s livelihoods here – players, staff, supporters – and it’s ridiculous.

“I had an enquiry about Marc Richards, whose been absolutely outstanding, by a top, top team in this division about six weeks ago and I put it to him but he didn’t want to go because he saw what was happening.

“I’ve had decisions to make over the past two or three weeks regarding my future.

“From my point of view, I’ve got an agent and my agent wants to know what’s happening because I’m not getting paid.

“There has been a couple of enquiries about me but I know that we can go so far with this football club and I don’t want to undo all of the work we’ve done over the past 18 months to two years.

“We’ve taken the club from going out of the Football League to a position where it is now. I love all of these players and they’ve been absolutely outstanding – they give me everything and give the supporters everything.

“We’ve got a deal on the table that can take the club forward, not a rescue act that just gets us through to the end of the season.

“How long is the best deal going to be there for? We’ve got until next Friday! We’ve got somebody who’s worked incredibly hard, who wants to take the club forward and who wants to put money into the club and strengthen our position and wants us to get into League One.

“He wants to invest and pay people’s wages and get the stand built and have a feel good factor.

“There are a lots of things that have happened which have tightened people up and the unity that everybody has shown in backing us has been absolutely fantastic.

“If it’s a rescue plan then it’s a rescue plan and that’s fair enough but what am I meant to say to Adam Smith? Or Marc Richards? Or what am I meant to say to Nicky Adams? ‘We’re just going to float around at the bottom of this division’?”

“There is somebody there who is waiting for the deal to be done.

“The best deal for the football club is the one which has been worked at for three or four weeks and that’s what has kept me at the football club and kept Marc Richards at the football club.

“I left a decent club in a decent position because of the ambition and where we’re going to go. I understand things change in football and some things happen but what has happened is an absolute shambles.

“But there’s somebody there who wants to take the club forward.

“Nicky Adams had clubs left, right and centre who wanted him but I said to him to come down and talk to us. And then Marc Richards two years ago, and there’s David Buchanan – the list is endless.

“They want to progress their career here and that is why I am feeling what I am at the moment and I just do not understand what is going off at this football club because it is tearing us all about.”