“They are going to have to perform” – Mark Robinson has message for academy prospects eyeing first-team shot at AFC Wimbledon

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Mark Robinson wants to bring through AFC Wimbledon’s academy players – but has warned they will have to seriously graft for an opportunity at senior level.

The 55-year-old was appointed head coach at the League One club last week after a short spell in interim charge following Glyn Hodges’ departure.

Robinson had worked his way through the coaching side of the Dons’ academy – eventually heading it up – before becoming first-team coach and loans manager. Now he has been handed a crack at the top job.

“I had to throw myself into it and treat it like I was going to get it – otherwise I would never stand a chance,” said Robinson. “So it hasn’t not felt real.

“After the interview process and hearing rumours about who I was up against, I feel immensely proud.

“When I was at the academy it used to drive me mad if the staff didn’t reply to people. I spent three hours replying [to text messages after getting the job], but it is a lovely feeling.

“The main goal is to keep us up. That’s the remit I’ve been given – to keep us in League One. Along with that I’d like to see a real identity in the way we play and a culture about the club which fits exactly the story that our football club is about.

“I want to see progression on the pitch as well as off it.

“I want to thank all the academy staff who have supported me and were previously there. They have been unbelievable in the period I was interim. It was overwhelming, the hours they were prepared to do.”

Robinson has been at AFC Wimbledon since 2005. He rose to the title of academy head of football and U18 boss on the youth side.

The plan is to continue to produce talent from that area which can impact at first-team level.

“I find it strange with the amount of money clubs spend on academies, you would have thought it would be the remit for every club,” said Robinson. “Being a fan-owned club, our fans love to see their own come through. We’re very big on players understanding the club’s story.

“The boys at home games used to sell programmes – because we believe in life skills. They used to be meeting the supporters, things that don’t happen at other clubs. They’d be doing jobs around the stadium.

“The academy players will be excited about what the future can bring for them. But also they know how they are going to have to perform to stand a chance. They’ve got to keep up their end of the bargain.

“There is no easy path into the first team and they know that because of how high the standards were when I was youth team manager and what you needed to achieve to stand a chance of getting a pro contract.”

Robinson has had a life outside of football. He saw his own playing dreams ended as a youngster by a serious injury while on Fulham’s books but went on to form his own company – It’s A Kids Thing Limited – as well as being a licensing officer for the Performing Right Society.

There was also a two-year spell as a stadium tour guide at Chelsea.

“People can say about a lack of experience in terms of me being a League One manager but in terms of life experience, managing people and developing elite cultures in football – but also away from football in my own business – I’d say I’ve got a vast range of management experience and people experience,” he said.

“When I got injured I lost my head a little bit. I didn’t fall out of love with football but I just wanted to stay away from it. Football had been my life and my family’s life, everyone was football nuts. That’s all we did.

“When I worked at the Performing Right Society that hunger came back and I coached a football team there. It was how do I get back in coaching?

“I looked at my weaknesses. I felt if I was going to build an academy and run an academy then I’d have to present to people.

“I did two days a week at Chelsea and it was possibly one of the best things I did. One of the tour guides was Britain’s best Elvis, another was a radio DJ, another was a part-time actor and one had been on Mastermind and his topic was Chelsea – the other was a cab driver, and what he didn’t know about the club wasn’t worth knowing!

“I found my own little niche in that group.

“One day there was training and Jose Mourinho put a spanner in the works – we had 500 people sitting in the Shed Upper stand and they said: ‘Robbo, you need to keep them entertained for half an hour’.

“I’ve always believed in taking yourself out of your comfort zone and that’s what I’ve done continually.”

Wimbledon chief executive Joe Palmer claimed Robinson’s determination to bring about “cultural change” gave him the edge over other candidates for the Plough Lane hotseat.

Robinson brought in mindset mentor Steve Sallis as soon as he replaced Hodges. Sallis will also be available on an individual basis.

“When you talk about cultures and learning environments that needs to be lived – by everyone,” said Robinson. “That includes the language you’re using and the way people are feeling.

“People worry when you talk about this. They think ‘is he trying to develop some kind of hippy commune?’ It’s far from that. You have values that underpin the performance.

“It’s about people feeling comfortable to perform and having a voice. You have values, so that if people step out of line or outside your values which you’ve all set together that is where the firmness comes in.

“It’s a huge part of the game that gets missed – the performance side that comes through how you are feeling and the vibrancy of the environment.

“We’ve talked about how everyone is different but has to feel comfortable. If you can produce an elite environment where players can perform, a lot of that is around understanding each other.

“I believe the players need to take ownership and responsibility for a lot of what they do day to day in training – because that then transfers to the pitch. Some are quiet and some are noisy – but they need to feel comfortable because then they will have a voice and an opinion. That’s how you grow.”

PICTURES: SEAN GOSLING