During Episode twenty seven of the Toolstation Western League Podcast, Ian Nockolds interviewed Tom Smith, Manager of Welton Rovers.

Read the conversation below, or catch up on the episode at the bottom of this article.

IN: Well, I'm delighted to welcome back to the Toolstation Western League podcast Tom Smith, the manager of Welton Rovers. Now, what a dramatic winner at the weekend, Tom, obviously a fantastic scalp for the club to get Bridgwater United, but how does that rank with some of the best victories you've had as a manager?

TS: Yeah, it's right up there. I mean, when you play against teams with the quality that Bridgwater have got it's always nice to get a result. I think it was one that was coming. We played Mousehole away a few games ago and pushed them right to the end as well, and, unfortunately, it was them that got the last-minute winner that time. Two good performances against Keynsham and Street, wins in both, so we were leading up to the game nicely and we knew that if we performed the way we were performing, had the grit and the determination that we'd been showing then we felt the scalp was there for the taking. So yeah, it was a great performance, a great day for the team, great day for the club. We've managed to beat teams in and around us quite well this year, but we're yet to take a big scalp and hopefully we can use that and push on.

IN: When you went 1-0 down did you fear the worst?

TS: I didn't. Ironically, I said to the players at halftime, 'I felt more confident about winning the game at halftime 1-0 down than I did at the start.' Like I said, we had all the belief in the world at the start that we could cause them problems. But after going 1-0 down, yes, they had chances but we had chances as well. We were well in the game, and if we could conduct ourselves right in the second half, then we had a big chance of winning it. And luckily the big moments went our way, and the lads were fantastic, so fair play to them, and they deserved it come the end.

IN: Well, 1-1, of course, going into the final minutes, and you were playing, obviously, one of the big sides. A side that's going for the league title. At that point, would you have settled for a point? Or did you want your players to push on for that winner?

TS: I would 100% have taken the point. I'm not going to lie to you, Ian. No, you know, you're playing against a team of absolutely quality and brilliant players. A point would have been a brilliant result. We're now unbeaten in six at-home, and that, obviously, would have continued with a draw and it would have set us up nicely for Mousehole's visit this Saturday. So yeah, I would have taken a point but the possibility of getting three was always there. And then with a set piece, a corner at the end with a minute to go, you know anything can happen. When you've got players like Scully in the box, and you've got the poachers like Jaden in there, then anything can happen, and it was a brilliant outcome and the teams were fantastic.

IN: I think one of the funny things about a result like that is, of course, it's very eye catching for everybody involved in the league. And there's a tendency to think, 'oh, you know, Bridgwater, are having a wobble.' In fact, that was actually a question that I put to Dave Pearse on last week's podcast. I think if I was speaking to him now, it would probably be more pertinent. But in a way, I think that does you a bit of a disservice. We shouldn't really be talking about what's going on at Bridgwater, we should be talking about what's going on at Welton Rovers because this was a fantastic result for you and your players.

TS: Yeah, it was and, you know, no doubt Bridgwater will bounce back. You know, as we showed last year, when we were 21 unbeaten, and then went on a little bit of a wobble, you know, it happens. And when you're at the top, everyone's gunning for you, everyone wants the scalp. So, it's hard, it's hard to keep that momentum going all the way through the season and it's very, very rarely done. Look, they've got brilliant players, I speak to Dave quite regularly, he's a top bloke, and you've got Reed// who is the assistant there as well, and he was my manager at Wells and you know, I had a drink with them after and had a chat. They've got the quality, they've got a couple of players out at the moment, as well, I'm sure when they come back it'll strengthen them, and they've obviously got a big Vase game coming on the weekend. I'm sure they'll find their feet again soon, they're a good, professional outfit, so I've got no worries about them whatsoever. But yeah, you're right, the credit has got to go to the players, really. They dug in, especially as you said, 1-0 down to come back and win 2-1, you can't argue with it. And I'm just really, really buzzing for the boys and all the volunteers and everyone at the club.

IN: This a point, actually, that you just touched upon earlier, but you've had three wins on the spin all at home. So, are you turning West Clewes into a fortress?

TS: Well, I've always said to the boys, if we want to be successful this year, we've got to. Especially with the travelling involved with the league at the moment. Some of the teams are unknown, some of the places are unknown. Obviously, availability can fluctuate depending on when you've got to travel, when you've got to leave. So, it's really important to try and pick up some points at home. We played a lot of away games early in the season and got a lot out of the way. A lot of the home games were cancelled, and it was coincidence really, but it has left us in a really good situation for the run. We've got over 75% of our remaining games at home. So, I said to the lads if we can turn it into a fortress, if it's a hard place for teams to come, then it's only going to improve our league position and they've taken it on board, they've really run with it and long may it continue.

IN: Well, let's talk about that league position, you're up to 10th in the table now. Has that changed your ambitions for this season?

TS: No, the ambitions are still the same. The ambitions were to make sure that - and it's probably over a few seasons rather than this one individual season - the ambition is to make sure that Welton Rovers are a sustainable Premier club. First of all, let's not go down is the first thing you're thinking, and as negative as that sounds, we have to be realistic. I think the last couple of times Welton have gone up, you know, we've come back down the season after, so it was really important to consolidate in that league and be competitive with whoever we play. We've had a few hurdles, we've had a couple of bad results early in the season, but that's only galvanised us and, yeah, I think it's really, really important that we stick together, stick strong. If we finish in a high position then so be it, you know, we're 10th at the minute, we've played a few more games than a few other teams around us, so inevitably we're going to drop a position or two, but if we can finish mid-table, even if that might be lower half of mid-table, then it's going to be an incredibly successful season for us.

IN: You've got Mousehole on Saturday. Now, you've already mentioned that, of course, they beat you in dramatic style at their place. This is an opportunity to return the favour, and with them coming to West Clewes I bet you and the boys are really up for this.

TS: It's the time for the game to come, without a shadow of a doubt. The fact that we lost to Bridgwater down there 2-1 and that was in quite dramatic fashion as well, we scored a last-minute equaliser that was ruled out, and I think the boys had that in the back of their mind as well. And it's the same with Mousehole, I mean, it was dramatic, but it wasn't dubious, shall we say. They deserved it in the end, you know, they took their chance at the end. But it was a really, really good game of football, and they're a really good team and Jake Ash is a fantastic manager, and he sets his team up really, really well. So, you know, with their quality and our momentum, it should be a hell of a spectacle on Saturday.

IN: Did you learn anything from that trip down to Mousehole that could put you in good stead on Saturday?

TS: I think you've got to. Like I mentioned earlier, playing teams that you haven't played before, I think it's imperative that you have to learn quick. We've seen players that we haven't seen before, we've seen how they set up, undoubtedly they'll probably change things, as will we. But yeah, I think you have to learn, and we'll definitely be adapting, the important thing for us is going to be keep working hard, keep the momentum, and if we do the right things then we're going to be a tough match for them on Saturday without a shadow of a doubt.

IN: Now, I know the last time we spoke on the podcast, we talked about the planned merger of the Western League with the Southwest Peninsula League and, obviously, we reflected on what that meant for Welton, because it was an opportunity for you to visit some grounds that perhaps you wouldn't be visiting in the future. But the financial issues meant that that was an important consideration for your football club. In the last sort of day or so, obviously, the news has broken that talks between the two leagues have now broken down over that merger. I mean, where does that leave you? Where does that leave Welton Rovers?

TS: Well, the thing is, it's early to comment on it based on the fact that I know as much as what anyone else does just reading Twitter, really, at the moment. Probably my biggest peeve with it is that the issues have been broadcasted across Twitter, obviously, the Peninsular statement in the morning, followed by the Western League statement in the evening, created some panic, created some worries within people, but there wasn't really any answer. So, I feel if you're going to come out with that, I think you should really have some answers ready. Ready to firefight, ready to put people's minds at rest. So, you know, my opinion on it is, I've got no control, we've got no control over it. But to have clear and honest answers as early as possible, you know, clubs have got to plan, certain clubs in steps 7, 6 and 5 have been promised certain things that ... and they're planning is not just a case of finishing this season, you've got a plan for next season and the season after. And, as I mentioned earlier, my ambition as Welton manager is to make sure Welton is a sustainable club. That's easy to do when, well, it's easy to aim for when you know where you're going to be and you know where the league's going. But when everything's chucked in the air and promises are made, and things are accepted, and things are put in place, and there's been announcements months and months ago saying what was going to happen - people planned for it and for that to be tossed in the air with no answer is concerning. I just hope that everything's sorted out, whatever the situation may be, I hope everything is sorted out and clubs have enough time to plan how they're going to attack it next year. And as long as that's the case, then, you know, it's going to be the same for everyone, but it would be massively disappointing if everyone had to do what they've done again this year. That's not a reflection on any clubs you've got to go to down South, or the same with them coming up to us. It's just hard for clubs to sustain this level that's happening at the moment, the level of travelling, the level of finance. So, as long as people know where they stand I think people can make plans for it.

IN: I'm hoping that we'll be able to speak to a league official, a Western League official. Well, hopefully on next week's podcast, if not shortly after that. If I could put a question to them on your behalf, what would it be?

TS: Probably just to reiterate what I just said, and that is just to clarify what's going on as soon as possible. Are there plans in place for this? Have they got an idea of where they're going to go with it now this has broken down? you know, to announce that it's definitely happening, you would have assumed the 'i's have been dotted and the t's have been crossed', if you like, and they obviously haven't been, so I think it's probably a little bit of under-preparation on their part. But yeah, just get the information out as quick as possible so that clubs are left in the best position still. That's all I'd have to say on it, really.

IN: Tom, thank you very much for your time. I'm sorry it turned into an almost pseudo-political interview at the end there. I think it's much happier for both of us when we're talking about the football, and it'll be fascinating to see how you get on against Mousehole at the weekend. So, the best of luck to that and the best of luck to you for the rest of the season.

TS: Thank you, Ian. Any time mate, thank you.

Listen to the full podcast below: