In-depth with AFC Wimbledon’s head of football operations Craig Cope – The youngest Football League transfer chief, ‘brave’ Dons squad rebuild, Al-Hamadi’s Ipswich switch and hopes of leaving a legacy

AFC Wimbledon head of football operations Craig Cope is the youngest transfer chief in the top four divisions – but he nearly went in another direction following his exit from Nottingham Forest.

Cope started off as an analyst with Birmingham as a university student and progressed to hold roles in a similar capacity at Cheltenham, Notts County and Forest. 

However, he was let go from the City Ground following Mark Warburton’s sacking in 2018 and considered quitting football to move into a management scheme that would have meant overseeing a corporate company.

But on the day Cope was set to start with his new venture away from the game, he landed on an opportunity at Solihull Moors in the National League, which saw him handle the transition to taking the club to a full-time basis and revamping the analyst and recruitment department. 

Exeter City’s technical director Marcus Flitcroft is 32 and David Sharpe – head of football operations at  Bradford – is 33, making Cope the youngest in his role amongst his peers.

In his first sit-down interview with the South London Press, Cope said: “It was the best thing I ever did. 

“I knew very early on that I was never going to be a footballer. My dad used to take me to a local non-league or League Two ground if our team wasn’t playing. 

“Every time we went on holiday, we would switch between Torquay or Plymouth on a weekly basis. I would just watch loads and loads of games. 

“I learnt quickly what worked and what didn’t. I went to university and considered coaching, but I was never any good in that department.

“Being an analyst was the route to go in. After my year with Birmingham, I was with Cheltenham for two years and I was writing up the opposition reports – they started asking me about players.

“I started to get a feel for recruitment. It’s the area I speak about a lot, but as an analyst, I moved clubs a lot as I progressed and I began to understand what the gripes were from people behind the scenes in football.

“I began to think I could mould it into something. I thought I was okay at recruiting and signing players to fit a certain style, but I also began to understand what people needed in the backroom staff.

“It ended up being an all-seeing role at Solihull, which is what has led me here now with Wimbledon.”

Wimbledon plucked Cope from the midlands in January 2023, four years into his time at Damson Park, where he assembled a squad under former Dons legend Neal Ardley which was one game away from reaching the Football League for the first time in its history – suffering a National League play-off final 2-1 defeat to Grimsby Town in June 2022.

The now 31-year-old is a season-and-a-half into the role at Plough Lane and has completed a major squad overhaul along with negotiating the club’s record departure of the phoenix era in his spell so far.

“It’s been a really good journey,” said Cope, summing up his time at Plough Lane to date.

“We have made a lot of good progress and we’re happy with what we have done, but myself, Johnnie, and everyone around the club, realise we haven’t achieved anything yet. 

“There is a lot of drive and ambition to make sure we progress this club even further than we have in a short space of time. 

“I see my skill set as everything non-coaching. I could improve the sports science, the training ground, recruitment and aspects that were lacking in the structure before I came in.

“I wanted to support Johnnie and Terry and allow them to do what they’re best at. I got to work straight away in the first January when I arrived as I could see where the blind spots were.”

Only two players remain from Jackson’s first season in charge – academy defenders Isaac Ogundere and Huseyin Biler.

Alex Woodyard, Alfe Bendle and Josh Davison have been moved on from the club despite having time left on their deals.

Will Nightingale has also been sent on two consecutive loan deals to Ross County.

Ethan Chislett, Armani Little, Nik Tzanev and Zach Robinson have left as free transfers.

“We have made some really unpopular decisions,” said Cope.

“They were brave decisions – ones that needed making. Myself and Johnnie have been quite ruthless in the approach to the squad build and the turnover. 

“We have tried to put on the pitch a team that is representative of what the fans see Wimbledon as and what we see it as moving forward.

“We have a bit of an identity now.”

The spine of the squad was assembled last summer – Jake Reeves, Joe Lewis, Ryan Johnson, Josh Neufville and Omar Bugiel all drafted in and becoming crucial players.

But there were 10 summer signings in the recent summer, with Matty Stevens, Joe Pigott, Alistair Smith, James Furlong and Owen Goodman all joining. 

“This summer was a bit tougher than last summer,” added Cope.

“It’s well documented that we lost out on one or two players. One was coming in but ended up not happening at the last minute.

“I think we have improved the squad quite drastically this summer. Having the players in early means you can have a full pre-season with them and Johnnie, Terry and Dave Reddington – who has been a brilliant addition – can get real work in.

“In terms of sports science and medical, they can also really lay the foundations during pre-season to help with player longevity over the season. 

“People aren’t rushing around last minute to get a pre-season in during August when we have competitive games – it’s not conducive to keeping the body fit for sport.

“Alistair Smith is a key one. We wanted to sign him last summer, but he wanted to play in League One and got more than what we could have offered him. 

“For whatever reason it hasn’t worked out for him. We wanted to get him all summer and had to wait and be patient. The transfer window is a game. We know what our strengths are and what type of player we want.

“We wouldn’t look at players who don’t suit our style of play or model. Getting the most of it done before the start of pre-season was really good.”

There was no mad deadline day dash or deal sheets to get players over the line in the recent window – Wimbledon’s business finished in an orderly fashion with two weeks left to go when Riley Harbottle joined from Hibernian.

Cope added: “This deadline day was quite dull, but we did it properly and ensured we were all together just in case. 

“We were looking to add one more player, but I’m not a fan of carrying players and bringing in players for the sake of it and neither is Johnnie.

“We were happy with what we had in the end and it could of been a waste of budget which we hopefully could get a bit extra towards in January if we need it.”

There have been several key appointments in the backroom staff since Cope arrived. 

Vastly experienced physiotherapist Bobby Bacic was brought in to help the club combat the injury problems that had been surfacing for several seasons.

Former Crystal Palace coach Dave Reddington was named as part of Jackson’s staff this summer.

But Cope’s first hire came in the shape of Dons FA Cup winner Andy Thorn, who returned to the club as chief scout.

“Thorny has been a brilliant appointment,” he added.

“I felt it was good for me to be at Wimbledon games. I needed to get someone who was able to go out on a Saturday and cover games that I couldn’t.

“On a Monday, Tuesday and Friday when we’re not playing, I’m out at games, as are the other scouts who are really beneficial to us. 

“The best thing about Thorny is that he sees the game slightly differently to me – I haven’t got the FA Cup medal or the experience of playing for Wimbledon.

“The contact books that he has higher up has really opened doors for us. The Crystal Palace link has been reopened because of him – it’s something we’re really grateful for.

“We can have difficult conversations – he’s not afraid to say: ‘Craig, that’s all wrong.’ If we’re not honest with each other, we’re not going to be successful or move this club forward.”

Cope has had to battle with a high-profile departure in nearly every transfer window – including from the first few weeks of tenure after Ayoub Assal was sold to Qatari side Al-Wakrah for a deal north of £1million.

Jack Currie was also sold this summer to Championship side Oxford after two standout seasons at left-back for Jackson’s side.

But the head of football operations also had to thrash out a fee that landed Wimbledon their club record outgoing when Premier League-bound Ipswich came knocking for star striker Ali Al-Hamadi last January.

Al-Hamadi was away with Iraq at the Asia Cup in Qatar at the time of making the switch to the Championship.

Cope said: “From the first phone call to him getting the Ipswich shirt in Qatar, there were two to three phone calls daily.

“Some of them weren’t the most pleasant phone calls. The money that was involved for the player was astronomical.

“He deserves it. I really hope he gets a chance in the Premier League and proves a lot of the doubters wrong.

“It was easier for us with him not being in the country. Although we really needed him in the games, the situation was easier.

“Ipswich were really respectful and really good to deal with. Our first port of call was to say: ‘We don’t want him to go – he’s not for sale.’

Cope negotiated a fee with the Tractor Boys that could rise to become a record outgoing transfer for a League Two player with add-ons. The current record is held by Exeter, who sold Ollie Watkins to Brentford in 2017 for £1.8m.

He added: “We understood that January is a panic window with inflated prices compared to what you can get in a more relaxed summer window.

“Turning down that level of finance for us, when a deal got to a place where it was really good for us, could have been seen as negligent with where we are as a football club and what we need to do to progress the football club.”

The Dons find themselves in the play-off spots in League Two and briefly moved top of the table last weekend following the 3-0 win over Milton Keynes at Plough Lane.

Jackson’s side have suffered just one defeat in the league so far and set up a third-round EFL Cup tie against Newcastle after knocking out fellow Premier League side Ipswich.

After a three-year exile from League One, the foundations are finally in place to attack League Two.

With his second full season of leading the direction of the football club in full swing, Cope added: “I’m a football fan and I love the legacy people can leave here.

“We have got back into the Football League. We have got back to Plough Lane. I don’t want to sit here and not have achieved anything – we have improved a little bit. 

“I’d rather sit here and say: ‘We managed to take our league position back.’

“I’m solely concentrating on League Two right now – that’s the most important thing – as our coaching staff. 

“But I’d love to leave here in whatever way having the club back in the Championship again. It would have gone full circle.

“To have that as part of my time here would be an absolute dream.”

COPE PICTURES: AFC WIMBLEDON