Gary Waddock gives his first interview on decision to become new Wealdstone manager

Gary Waddock gives his first interview on the decision to become new Wealdstone manager on a two-and-a-half-year contract.

The 63-year-old makes his return to management, leaving the role of Assistant Head Coach at League Two side Walsall to do so.

Wealdstone, who are 14th in the table, 14th with 39 points from 32 games played, 9 points above the drop zone, take on Kidderminster in the FA Trophy quarter-final this weekend.

🤝 We are delighted to confirm the club’s new manager as Gary Waddock, who has signed a two-and-a-half year contract.

Welcome to Wealdstone, Gary!

🔗 Read more here: https://t.co/DQe0EzNslL#wealdstonefc #bruneluni pic.twitter.com/QKQIvsZkQS

— Wealdstone FC (@WealdstoneFC) February 27, 2026

STATEMENT:

THE Wealdstone FC Board of Directors is very pleased to confirm the club’s new manager as Gary Waddock, who has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract.

After thorough consideration was given to all possible options, including the notion of an interim solution until season’s end, the club felt Waddock’s appointment would be a strong sign of stability and experienced leadership – especially given a minimum of 15 remaining games this campaign.

Born just up the road in Kingsbury, Waddock needs little introduction to those for whom north-west London is home.

The former Eire international achieved legendary status as a player at Stones’ EFL neighbours Queens Park Rangers, kicking off a career which also took in stops at Millwall, Bristol Rovers and Luton Town.

In terms of management and coaching, Gary has 20 years’ worth of experiences behind him.

His most recent managerial spell was a second stint at Aldershot Town between 2016 and 2019, working through some troubled times in north Hampshire. His first period with the Shots, some ten years before that, had yielded promotion from what was then the Conference National into the Football League with a record 101 points.

Now 63, Waddock has enjoyed many other varied coaching roles – mostly in league football – with his longest reign at Wycombe Wanderers, on the back of that impressive Aldershot promotion.

More recently, the ex-midfielder has been part of the coaching set-ups at Portsmouth, Cambridge United and Walsall – from where he departs to join the Stones.

On behalf of the Board, chairman Rory Fitzgerald said of the appointment: “Gary’s hungry to get back to management and we’re delighted to have secured his experience to lead our ambitious football club.

“We’re grateful to Walsall FC for working with us in regards to Gary’s release, at what is a key time in the season for all teams in terms of retaining key staff.

“We’ll let Gary explain for himself in his first interview why he felt this role is right for him, but from the club’s point of view we feel it’s exactly what we need right now to gain the maximum return from our dedicated playing squad.”

Gary will be working with the existing management team here at The Vale, so Danny Payne remains in his position as First-Team Coach. Elliott Minto, who was in the dugout for Tuesday’s win over Brackley Town, returns to Stones in a role combining coaching with Lead Analyst duties.

Welcome to Wealdstone, Gary, with very best wishes for every success!

Interviewer: Gary, back home essentially, North West London. Where it started, and family ties as well I guess, as knowing a lot about the area?

Gary: Yeah, I know the area, I was brought up locally, so I’ve been to the ground many a time, so it’s nice to come back home, yeah.

Interviewer: And I guess you’ve got family and friends that followed your journey when it started at QPR, and maybe they went to Wealdstone as well, did they?

Gary: Yes, yeah. You know, family, friends, they’ve followed me around and been really supportive towards what I’ve done, both on the playing side and the coaching side of things. Yeah, we know the area well, so I’m looking forward to being back home more regularly.

Interviewer: Great. Walsall have been very kind in allowing you to take up this opportunity. Do you just want to pay our respects that way?

Gary: Yeah, they’re a good club, they’re good people at Walsall, and they’ve been really supportive towards me coming here as well. So I’ve got a fantastic relationship with the manager, who I believe will go on and have a really good career in the game. And the staff there, the coaching staff, backroom staff, the players, the people upstairs, I’ve got the utmost respect for all of them.

Interviewer: This is a great opportunity here at a club where there’s much to talk about. You’ve had some of those conversations initially, I guess?

Gary: Yeah, I have, yeah. I’m really looking forward to the challenge ahead with the club, how they started this season really strongly. I spoke to the chairman, Rory, last summer. I had a conversation with him, so I know him reasonably well. And then, you know, a good start, so why not have a decent finish to the season as well?

Interviewer: And there’s a lot of promise for the future in terms of what might be coming down the track, and you’ve also had a conversation with Nick Semaca as well?

Gary: Yeah, obviously I’ve spoken to the chairman, Rory, and Nick Semaca as well. Both are really positive towards what they’re going to develop here at the club going forward. You know, the future plans that they want to achieve in good time, reasonable time, is really exciting and promising for the club. So, you know, if we can all be a part of that, that would be fantastic.

Interviewer: Why now back into a number one role, Gary? Because you’ve had some coaching roles that haven’t been the manager. Why now?

Gary: It’s a fantastic opportunity to be a manager again, and I wanted to be a number one again. And this opportunity came around, and I wanted to take it. So the roles that I’ve had previously as an assistant, they were young coaches who’d gone in as the manager. They wanted an experienced guy alongside them who’d been there, seen it, and done it. And I said to the guys, you just want an old git, don’t you, in that position to help you out. But yeah, I’ve experienced quite a lot. I wanted to, in my coaching career, do a number of roles before I become a manager. And I’ve been fortunate that I have. You know, I’ve worked in the youth department, in an academy. I’ve worked at first team level. I’ve been an assistant manager. I’ve been a manager. So, you know, I wanted that opportunity again to be the one that was making them final decisions. And I’ve got the opportunity here, and I’m really looking forward to it.

Interviewer: Given you’ve been in coaching and management 20 years, you’re still looking fresh of face. What’s kept you motivated all that time?

Gary: I’m just passionate about the game. You know, I love the game. It’s easy to say, but, you know, to be in the game for that period of time, even longer as a player and as a coach, I always want to go into the coaching side. But I like to develop players. I like to see young players develop and go on in their careers. I like to develop teams that will play a certain way. And I’ve got that opportunity to do that again now, you know, with me making that final decision. I like all the bits that come along with it. The heartache, the stresses of it and the triumphs along the way. It’s an up and down journey. But I’ve not been a number one for a little while. And I’m really, really looking forward to that again.

Interviewer: If we leave the tactical and formation and shape aside, what are the values that make a Gary Waddock team?

Gary: Again, that’s another good question. I like my players to be athletic so they can get around the pitch. I like players to be comfortable in possession. So technically they have to be good enough to get on the ball and express themselves. And I want them to play with the freedom as well. You know, first and foremost, you have to be able to get around the pitch and go and press high. But then when you regain possession of the ball, you have to be good enough to then create and open teams up. So that’s the type of player that I want in the squad.

Interviewer: You spoke about your enthusiasm and working with young players. It is a mixture, probably leaning towards youth more than experience currently. How has the National League changed since your previous spells with Aldershot? How does it look for you now? You obviously keep a close eye on it.

Gary: Yeah, I’ve always kept a close eye on it because of my links with Aldershot and being there. But you look at the clubs that are competing in the National League now, you know, and we’re up against them. So that’s the challenge. When I was first at this level, I enjoyed the challenge that we had then and I’m going to enjoy the challenge now. But it’s a tough division to get out of. But every league’s tough and I like the challenge.

Interviewer: How does a manager bring the freedom you spoke about to allow those young players to flourish?

Gary: Well, whatever they do, I will take responsibility for that. So I’ll give them the freedom to go and express themselves in the right area of the pitch. If it comes off, it’d be great. If it doesn’t, I’ve asked them to play with the freedom. So it’s my fault, it isn’t their fault. I’ll take all the responsibility. I’ll take all the knocks. Let the players just play and enjoy themselves and then we’ll see them express themselves at the same time.

Interviewer: You’ve obviously had great success with that philosophy. Talk to us a little bit about all your shot experiences over two spells.

Gary: Well, the first spell I had in there, it was a fantastic journey. We went on with a group of players and a chairman there at the time who was fully supportive. We assembled a team of young players with good, experienced players. No different to here, really, because you touched on it about the mixture. So you need the good young players, obviously, but you need good, experienced players to guide them and help them. And I had that at Aldershot. We put that together. We had a good backroom staff as well and we went on a journey. Nobody expected us to go and do what we’d done and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We went into the league and we gave a good account of ourselves in the league as well, in the League Two level.

Interviewer: Tougher times in the second spell, more difficult circumstances.

Gary: Yeah, it was. But the first two seasons we got into the playoffs. So year one was in the playoffs, second year was in the playoffs. We didn’t achieve what we set out to achieve, but I don’t think anybody thought we were getting to the playoffs then. Third year was very, very difficult for a number of different reasons. But I enjoyed the club. I enjoyed the level of football. There’s some good players, there’s some good teams at this level. And again, I keep saying about the challenge ahead. That is going to be a challenge for us that we need to face full on and we certainly will do.

Interviewer: You’re coming in here with the stability of the management team that some of whom are quite long serving. So just explain the setup as it’s going to be with the guys.

Gary: Well, I’ve had a meeting with the staff. You know, first impressions are always important and they’ve come across really well. Really knowledgeable. They want to help and be part of it. So yeah, they will be. So we’ll go together. We’ll be stronger as a group and we’ll create an environment both the staff and the players that everybody will be looking forward to coming into training when they come in and match day will be exactly the same.

Interviewer: And match days will bring in contact with the stone supporters who’ve got a hard-earned reputation for their loyalty. They’ve saved the club themselves a number of times. They’re boisterous. They’re passionate. They’re very protective about their club. You’ll know plenty of them from when you were growing up. What would you like to say to them as you join the club?

Gary: Continue to do exactly what you’ve just said that they’ve been doing for years. And look, we’re all part of that. I’m part of that now and I want to be on that journey with them. And if we can all pull together, which I know we will do, it’ll be a good journey that we all go on.