Mansfield Town CEO David Sharpe says patience and sticking to the long-term plan is the key to success

David Sharpe knows Mansfield need to stick to their long term plan to bring success.

That’s the view of the club’s chief executive officer David Sharpe who says Stags must stay true to their long-term plan.

“You have got to be patient, because things do not happen overnight,” he said during the club’s recent online fans’ forum.

“I saw that in my time at Wigan. It takes significant investment, though you don't have to spend the same that some do at this level.

David Sharpe believes his experience at Wigan will be of great help during his time at Mansfield Town.

“I think we can get away with being a lot smarter within the next couple of years and hopefully we will see the benefits of that.

“We can't make rash decisions off the back of certain games, you have got to have a long-term plan.

“No good football club just chops and changes all the time and that's what we want to do here.”

And he believes his experience at Wigan, when he became the youngest chairman in football at the time aged 23, will help him with his Mansfield duties in the coming seasons.

“I got thrown at the deep end at Wigan,” said Sharpe. “

“I had a lot of good people around me and it was a good experience. I wouldn't be here today if I didn't have the chance to run Wigan.

“I will use that experience here at Mansfield, but I am still learning, whatever job we do we are always learning.

“It is great to have good people around me here as well and I'm looking forward to trying to replicate what we had at Wigan, hopefully getting a promotion and seeing where it takes us in the next two or three seasons.”

Sharpe has since struck up an excellent relationship with boss Nigel Clough, the man who Sharpe worked tirelessly to bring to the One Call Stadium.

Clough said: “We share similar principles. We have seen clubs run for a long time when we were growing up and you absorb and learn.

“You take a lot from that and it gives you a lot of experience and hopefully stands you in good stead to do the job here.

“You have to share the same principles to get on and on how you want to run the club from the top down.

“We share the same standards and things like that which is important.”

Sharpe added: “I think the relationship between chairman and manager/chief executive is key in any football club.

“If the three of them get on, our four in case, and sing from the same hymn sheet then we have got a good chance.”