Brackley Town to celebrate remarkable achievement from player described as ‘cornerstone of the football club’
Those attending Brackley Town’s pivotal National League clash with Woking have more to look forward to than just the game, as the Saints are set to recognise the extraordinary achievement of one of their players.
Legendary captain Gareth Dean, who recently took interim charge of the Saints before Andy Whing came in as Gareth Cowan’s replacement, broke the record for the most Brackley appearances in the club’s history on Tuesday.
The result certainly wasn’t what Whing’s side would have hoped for as they were beaten 2-1 by fellow relegation battlers Eastleigh, but Dean started to mark his 439th cap.
In doing so, Dean surpassed the previous record set by Glenn Walker, who left Brackley for Spalding United in 2023 following a 12-year spell at St James Park.
Dean, as emotionally invested as he is in Brackley’s results, wanted to ignore matching the record following last weekend’s defeat to Boreham Wood. But now he’s broken it, the skipper is bound to be proud.
Last summer, when Dean signed a contract extension, former manager Cowan said: “Gareth is the cornerstone of the football club, his commitment and desire oozes through the squad and so as a club we realise his importance.”
There’s now an opportunity for Dean’s loyalty and longevity to be appreciated, as the Banbury Guardian understands Brackley are planning on formally recognising the veteran defender’s milestone on Saturday.
It awaits to be seen exactly what will be done to mark Dean’s achievement, but there will be a chance for the St James Park faithful to honour it.
Dean and his Brackley teammates will be eager to mark the occasion with a positive result, as the Saints have lost all of their last six matches.
Whing, who has overseen them all, recently described this run as the “worst of his career”. The performances have been strong in some cases, but Brackley just haven’t been able to convert their multitude of chances into points.
Heading into this weekend, Brackley are just three points above the National League relegation zone. Beating the 13th-placed Woking will be easier said than done, but it would provide a huge boost to all associated with the football club.