Mansfield Town's 15 years with the Radfords: How they rebuilt the Stags and their grand plans to target the Championship - INSIDE THE EFL

Carolyn Radford is being asked to reflect as we approach the 15th anniversary of her and husband John’s ownership of Mansfield Town.

Back in September 2010 at their first game as owners, just over 2,000 fans were present when the Stags took on Eastbourne Borough in the Conference at a ground they didn't own, riddled with financial problems and training in a local park, until John stepped in.

But on the day Carolyn speaks to Daily Mail Sport, Mansfield Town are now one of the most stable EFL clubs as they embark on a second season in League One after being promoted in 2024, have an impressive training ground and their One Call Stadium - formerly known as Field Mill and the oldest in the Football League - is often sold out to its 9,186 capacity. The Radfords brought it back into club control in 2012.

‘We don't really get to look back because we're always busy pushing forward, but we’re very proud of where we've taken the club,’ says Carolyn, who is CEO while John is chairman, and the pair run Mansfield together.

‘Football is an all-encompassing industry. It's amazing how it lifts people, but it makes you feel awful when you lose. Losing at Wembley (in the League Two play-off final in 2022) was horrific, but then getting promoted (in 2024) was absolutely incredible. I don't think there's any other sport that gives that kind of emotion.’

The couple, who married in 2012 and have three kids, initially generated headlines when Carolyn became the youngest football CEO in the country aged 29 in 2011, but given their record they are extremely popular among fans.

A string of Mansfield managers have even praised the Radfords - who met when Carolyn got a job at John’s firm, One Call Insurance - and in 2024 they were handed a special mayoral award in recognition of their hard work and commitment to the town.

But it’s not just the football side of things that have improved, with the club becoming a community hub. Money has been invested into several charitable initiatives via Mansfield and The Radford Foundation, aiming to help young and disadvantaged people - and there is a thriving fan zone on matchdays.

‘We definitely want to get pride back into the town,’ adds Carolyn, who has previously been dubbed ‘the first Lady of Mansfield’.

‘John's from Mansfield and he always wanted to give back to his community. People used to go to church to gather or pubs but that seems to be slipping away in society. So to get people out of the house is very important, whatever age you are.

‘Especially when you lose matches as well, you need them to go away with at least a smile on their face that they've had a good day, so the ground is a destination for the people of Mansfield to come and enjoy sport.’

Carolyn, a lawyer by trade, is engaging company and it is clear her and John, who watched Mansfield with his father as a youngster, are fully aware of their responsibilities as custodians of the club.

The unique scenario of running Mansfield together does bring its challenges though, particularly with three teenage boys to look after.

‘It definitely can have an impact on family life because we care so much about it,’ she adds. ‘We look at things from very different perspectives so sometimes we would clash, and we've had to learn to manage that over the years by putting our phones away and not listening to the noise.

'When you're living in the same house and lose, it’s not the easiest business to run.’

The highs still outweigh the negatives though and Carolyn jokes her three ‘football-mad’ boys, who are ‘obsessed’ with the club, even get involved.

‘They know every kind of statistic and we lean on them for advice on signings,’ she jests. ‘They remember everything and we don’t need a super-computer with them. They told us we were going to be safe last year (and we were).’

Despite Carolyn’s positive impact, she remains a trailblazer, with an extremely small percentage of women holding board positions across the pyramid.

‘It's definitely quite difficult sometimes,’ adds Carolyn, who cites the Lionesses as an inspiration. ‘But at the same time it's been difficult in terms of balancing family responsibilities so we have a lot on our plate.

‘Football can be quite intimidating as well. It's a competitive industry so you're going to win or lose and everything that brings. I just keep my head down and try to do what I can.’

It’s been a busy summer for the Radfords and Mansfield after one of the most challenging seasons of their tenure in 2024-25, which saw veteran winger Lucas Akins jailed for 14 months in April after pleading guilty to causing the death of a cyclist by careless or inconsiderate driving.

But on the pitch, a victory at Stockport at the start of January had the Stags four points off the play-offs, and within touching distance of the second tier for what would have been the first time in 47 years. What happened next was less positive.

A run of 14 defeats in 21 games left Nigel Clough’s side nervously looking over their shoulders before they secured safety with a 17th place finish. Carolyn admits it was ‘touch and go’ at times but to her and John’s credit, they kept faith with Clough in an era when the shelf life of managers has never been shorter.

Clough, 59, signed a new two-year deal last month. If he sees that out, he will become the club's longest-serving manager of all time, beating the mark of six years and a month set by Ian Greaves in the 1980s.

Mansfield are an exception to the norm in that regard with Clough the second longest-serving boss in the EFL - and fourth in England (behind Harrogate’s Simon Weaver, Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta) - after just under five years and 258 games in charge.

‘We've really enjoyed working with Nigel,’ Carolyn adds. ‘It's very easy and straightforward. I'm not going to say that consistency works given last season and the finish but it does as well, because you've got to give people time to perform.

‘We had also retained a lot of players that got us promoted the previous season, so we’re kind of now starting in League One.’

Lessons have been learned Carolyn insists, and nine players have come through the door - including three loanees from neighbours Nottingham Forest - while 12 have departed.

A pre-season tour in Ireland had the dual purpose of bonding a new group together and preparing them for the season, while investments continue to be made in infrastructure.

This includes a new gym at the training ground with an increased focus on the squad's conditioning, while the previously derelict and condemned Bishop Street Stand that has been out of action since May 2004 has reopened.

Further transfer activity is likely, although there is a preference for a smaller, tight-knit squad to maintain team spirit and control the wage bill.

Pre-season optimism was slightly dampened by narrow defeats by Burton Albion and Doncaster to start the league campaign, but the Stags picked up a morale-boosting 2-0 win at local rivals Chesterfield in the Carabao Cup first round on Tuesday night.

When the conversation turns to future aims, Carolyn adds: ‘John would like a nice cup run,’ just as her husband comes into the room and joins our chat.

He echoes these thoughts - Mansfield have only reached two quarter-finals in their 123 years of League football - and outlines a desire to see the academy develop, with graduate keeper Owen Mason set to serve as No 2 this season, and highlights Clough’s aims to get into the Championship one day.

Whatever happens, Mansfield are in good hands and the past 15 years have been transformative for the club.

‘It's so bizarre when you’re talking about something you’ve done,’ a humble Carolyn concludes. ‘But I think we’ve created a great place both at the training ground and at the football club itself.

‘You have to make sure you look after it because the club is a community asset that is important to so many people. I don’t think ownership is anything we ever thought we would be doing but it brings a lot of joy to a lot of people and I feel we are the right people to be doing it.

‘I think we've done a good job so far - touch wood - but we just want to make sure we leave the club in a better place than we found it.’

EFL bosses hit out at personal trainers

An issue that is becoming increasingly contentious among EFL bosses came to a head this week when Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom launched a scathing attack on players using personal trainers.

The incident arose after Daniel Jebbison, a striker on loan from Bournemouth, picked up an ankle injury stemming from a private fitness session, with the Canadian international set to be out for a month.

‘I’m really angry about that,’ Heckingbottom fumed. ‘There’s a growing trend of footballers working with people from outside. It’s an accident, I get it, but it’s not happening any more with any Preston players.

‘These guys work with these players and they post their work all over social media and they want to promote their business. They’re happy to take the money, but they don’t give us any money back when they injure the players in their sessions.

‘They’ll not be posting on social media that Jebbo is out for a month, so I'll tell everyone that when they work with players they can put them out as well.’

The clip quickly went viral on social media, with Bromley boss Andy Woodman adding his own thoughts.

‘Maybe get professional S&C guys that do things properly rather than amateurs.’

Classy touch for Carabao Cup

Eagle-eyed fans may have noticed special Carabao Cup sleeve badges in this week’s first round games after the EFL announced a unique update.

The move, designed to honour the history of the competition, saw all former winners add the commemorative badge to their kits.

The change gave clubs such as West Brom (winners in 1966), QPR (1967), Swindon (1969), Oxford United (1986) and Blackburn (2002) the chance to show off their heritage and it provided a reminder of when trophies were shared around more widely.