Stags' owner and chairman John Radford delivered a powerful annual address on Sunday evening at the club's annual awards dinner.
The full transcript is as follows....
Ladies and gentlemen, good evening.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the 1861 Suite for tonight’s annual awards dinner.
Firstly, thank you to Mansfield Sand who are sponsoring this evening’s event.
My gratitude extends to six other local companies who are sponsoring the awards for tonight’s key achievers.
Before I reflect on the season which has now passed, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone here tonight for your valuable contribution to the club.
My sincere appreciation also goes to those of you watching this live across the internet.
Many of you viewing this will have the Stags at heart, and however small or large a part you have played this season – from all of us here tonight, thank you.
We should always remember that alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much.
Our supporters are the beating heart of our club and their united qualities of patience, passion and encouragement are what makes them the very best.
And whilst it’s our players who are the ones who take centre stage, no show or performance can ever take place without the daily work of the supporting staff in the wings.
And here at One Call Stadium, our staff often go above and beyond the call of duty, without the recognition they richly deserve. Until tonight!
Time does not allow me to name you all, but this short video shall…
"Here, our club is growing bigger, better and stronger than ever before. And that work will continue."
Thank you to you all for your endeavours this season.
Together, we have achieved much in the last 12 months.
Having been a Stags’ supporter from the cradle, one of my pleasures as owner was resurrecting our youth academy, for the good of the club and the Town. And to see the links strengthened from first team to academy by our manager is a great sign of things to come.
I was, again, overjoyed to see our youth team win the league title last month for the third consecutive season. Well done to John Dempster and his staff.
Elsewhere, our family area achieved a status of excellence by the EFL for the great work by Tina Broughton and Danielle Hett.
Meanwhile, our match programme was awarded as the best in the division. Well done to our media mogul, Mark Stevenson and his team.
On the field, I share the disappointment of everyone in this room of us not being able to reach the play-offs.
Though as an eternal optimist, I always emphasise the positives… and to see us take four points each from our local rivals is always a highlight in any season.
We have many talented players in this squad who will be with us on the journey ahead. And leading our campaign is a man who has experienced success in this division before.
David left a good club in Swindon Town to join us here. He believes in the Stags, our values, our principles and our ambition. He is the right man, at the right time, to lead us to the next level.
David will have my unending support in the campaign ahead.
We will go again. Together.
Tonight signals the end of the season but tomorrow heralds a new dawn.
Right now, our club is in a time of transformation and we are rising to every challenge.
An artist's impression of the new Hilton-by-Hampton hotel at One Call Stadium
Our new training ground at Woburn Lane in Pleasley will strengthen our infrastructure and the proposed new Hilton Hotel will provide another income source for the club. This will aid us as we climb the English football pyramid.
Our club is advancing in every area and I will continue to back it in every way I can.
Many of these projects are being guided by a board of directors, who all share one great quality: they all want the best for Mansfield Town.
My thanks also to our sponsors and commercial partners. Every club needs the support of local companies and we have a number of great organisations with us tonight. Myself and our commercial team look forward to working with you again next season.
Usually, in any company, a chairman works most closely with its chief executive. And it will come as no surprise to you when I say that I work with our chief exec closer than most!
Carolyn has again exceeded expectations as CEO. She has steered our club in a way which makes me proud and she continues to showcase the Stags in the national media and for the causes which are close to her heart. We are all proud of your leadership.
Carolyn and I are fortunate enough to run a number of successful businesses and the truth is that there is nothing you can’t accomplish if you are absolutely committed to achieving, and determined to overcome whatever life throws at you along the way.
Here, our club is growing bigger, better and stronger than ever before. And that work will continue.
I will not rest or sleep until this club is everything I dreamed it could be. And dreams become reality only when we want them badly enough.
We won’t only wish for it. We will work for it. Together; with a one club, one cause mentality.
We are all one team, one family in here tonight. Let us support each other in every way we can heading into next season and look back in 12 months and say ‘Together, we did it’.
Thank you and enjoy your evening with us.
