Shaymen Go Wild

Wilder, who joined Alfreton after his Football League career was finished due to an injury while playing for the Shaymen, has been given glowing references by two high profile managers.

The statement on the Alfreton Town website read:

ALFRETON Town can confirm that Chris Wilder will be officially appointed as manager of Conference side Halifax Town next Tuesday (July 2nd).

Chairman Wayne Bradley assured the club's fans: "Whilst Chris Wilder's movement from the club brings an element of disappointment, it will not create a compromise in the club's ambitions.

"The task of organising a replacement is already under way".

What do we know about Chris Wilder then?

Well, obviously he had a couple of seasons at the Shay after joining us from Brighton, and he was steady if not spectacular. His main position was full back, but when Bracewell joined the club as manager Wilder was part of a three centre back defence.

His performances for Bracewell were an amazing contrast to the games where he was full back and he started to win the supporters over. Things started to go wrong for Wilder at Christmas time when in our 1-0 win away at Blackpool on Boxing Day he had to leave the pitch due to a back injury. He was never to be seen in a Town shirt again.

During the summer months of 2001 he decided to call it a day and retired from professional football after a good career which started as an apprentice at Southampton, and taking him to other clubs such as Bradford, Rotherham, and Sheffield United which gave him a total of 463 Football League appearances.

He joined Alfreton in September 2001 and was appointed manager in October in which his team played 42 games and only lost 3. The team was promoted and they also collected a couple of cups along the way.

Chris Wilder has god like status at Alfreton but it will be totally different at the Shay, unless he can perform miracles. There is no doubting the massive task ahead of him, so lets all get behind him and give him the chance and time to be a success at the Shay.