Promotion for Mansfield Town would be a deserved tribute to the Radfords says former boss Paul Cox

Cox said the club was in a poor state when he arrived and he has watched how well the chairman and the CEO Carolyn Radford have built it up to one with proper infrastructure that can go far.

“I would love to see the club get promoted,” he said.

“I think the Radfords and the supporters deserve it for some of the times we went through when everything wasn’t as rosy or as sophisticated as the whole club is now.

“I still keep in touch with a lot of people down there and it still gives me an incredible amount of pleasure to see them do well.

“When me and John Radford first sat down I think a lot of supporters realise where the club was, though I did try to explain on fans’ forums.

“We were a mid-table non-League football club and the psychology of the cub and the infrastructure needed building

“There was no youth infrastructure – there was no infrastructure whatsover.

“My wife was coming in and helping do the secretarial jobs, Carolyn was cooking in the kitchens.”

Cox said it wasn’t just a question of ploughing in money. It was also about proper planning and being hands on by the Radfords.

“To see the club where it is now gives me an incredible sense of pride after how hard we worked and how we did it,” he said.

“It has happened due to a lot of people’s hard work and a strong mindset from the chairman and CEO.

“Not just a strong mindset either. They were both very good at being hands on.”

“I would love to see the club go up this season for John.

“People talk about good chairman. Good chairman, as we have seen all around, go into football clubs and plough money into them like a bottomless pit.

“John has not just put his hard-earned money into the club, he has put a lot of his own time and effort in as well and been very meticulous and strong at times to be fair.”

He added: “The club is now starting to epitomise John Radford as a person. They are starting to develop that consistency and I am really proud when I look back at what we didn’t have. It has just taken time.

“I am so pleased, not for me, but for John and the supporters as a whole. John has bought the ground now and I think we will see the club go from strength to strength.”