Terry Phillips takes an in-depth look at Sam Ricketts, the newly appointed Wrexham AFC manager. Ricketts has agreed a three-year contract at the Racecourse and he is intent on leading the Dragons back to the Football League.
Sam Ricketts, Wrexham AFC’s new manager, overcame many major obstacles and a change of sporting career when he was a teenager.
Ricketts comes from an equestrian background. His father, Derek, was the World show jumping champion in 1978, at a time when Harvey Smith and David Broome ensured the sport was box office.
His uncle is John Francome, who between 1981 and 1985 was always champion jockey.
In Sam’s own words ‘I had been on a horse since I was a baby’ and there were always between 20 and 30 on his father’s yard.
At the age of 13 he had jumped beautifully on a pony called Diamond Lock to finish second in a qualifier for the Horse of the Year Show.
On the way home he turned to his father and announced he never wanted to ride again. Football was his priority.
He had jumped 6ft-plus fences, obstacles larger than anything he later faced in his football career, and ended his show jumping days on a high note.
“He just came out and told me that he didn’t want to do it any more,” said Derek. “I was disappointed at the time. Maybe we should have guessed because Sam would insist on putting up goalposts in one of the paddocks.”
Everything about Sam’s early life suggested his time in sport would be filled with horses and that his career would be measured out around Badminton, Burghley and Hickstead rather than the Emirates Stadium, Anfield, Old Trafford, Goodison Park and White Hart Lane.
He played at those stadiums for Bolton Wanderers or Hull City in the Premier League.
Sam followed in the footsteps of his grandfather Norman, who played for Swindon Town, instead of father Derek and uncle John. Norman’s encouragement was a major factor in Sam’s football development and he says: “Most importantly, he made me use my left foot.”
All his family, including his grandfather and uncle, were at Wembley Stadium for Sam’s finest moment as a footballer – Hull’s 1-0 victory over Bristol City in the 2008 play-off final that brought top-flight football to Humberside.
Francome joked on the way to Wembley that he never quite understood how his nephew had made it so far in his football career, saying ‘His dad has two new hips and has never run anywhere in his life, while his mother is a workaholic who has no time for sport.’
Dad Derek had a rush to make the Wembley kick-off and said: “I was managing the British show jumping team in Rome. I flew to London to watch the play-off final on the Saturday and then flew back to Italy on the Sunday.
“Sam and I would talk about his managers because I was interested to hear how they worked and how they motivated their players.
“He was always of the view that if you jogged off the field laughing you hadn’t put the full effort it and that’s how I felt about show jumping. You had to drive yourself and it was the same with his uncle. John Francome didn’t drink which was rare for a jockey of his era. I suppose we are that kind of family.”
Sam’s early football sessions were on an all-weather surface when he was a regular in Francome’s indoor school on a Wednesday night when, depending on how many jockeys turned up, it was sometimes 13-a-side.
“That’s where he learned to jump out of the way when someone 4ft 6in came in with a scything tackle,” says Francome. “He had to deal with Mattie Bachelor chasing him like a Jack Russell terrier.”
His professional career started at Oxford United and he was loaned to Nuneaton Borough.
He suffered a major setback at Telford United when the club which collapsed, all contracts were cancelled and Telford were relegated three divisions.
Kenny Jackett, Swansea City’s manager, took him to Swansea and within six months he earned the first of his 52 senior Welsh caps.
Sam moved on to Hull, Bolton, Wolves, Swindon and Coventry, enjoying a career in which he made 577 first team appearances and played in every division from National League to the Premier League.
“Sam didn’t have the short‑cuts he would have had in show jumping,” said Derek. “We’re not avid football fans, although his grandfather was a fair player.”
Derek would take a young Sam to Wembley Arena for the Horse of the Year Show, but what really appealed was the chance to take a tour of the old stadium that ended with a walk up the 39 steps and an opportunity to lift a replica trophy near the Royal Box.
Now his playing days are over and, at the age of 36, Sam has moved into management with Wrexham AFC. He is taking his first steps into a management career which has been several years in the making.
“For the last four or five seasons managers have entrusted me to be part of their coaching staff, often in an unofficial capacity,” he says. “I returned to Wolves and worked in their Academy with various age groups.
“Over my career I learned such a lot from every manager I have played under. I have gone through the managing styles or every manager and picked out the best bits from all of them.
“I am my own man, I will do things my way, but I also learned a lot over my playing career.
“Being appointed Wrexham manager is a huge honour for me.
“Brian Flynn is Wrexham’s greatest ever manager. I have known Flynny for years and he has gone on and on about how great this football club is.
“I know the history and the support here. This club has huge potential, it really does.
“This club is nothing without the fans. It is solely owned by fans and everybody is willing the best for Wrexham AFC.
“We want immediate success and long-term progress. Throughout my playing career i worked every day to be the best I could be and it will be the same as a manager.
“My career took me from non-League, through every division to the Premier and Welsh internationals. I prize hard work, commitment and a real drive to be successful.
“They are among the efforts I bring to this job.
“I have a clear way for the team to play, a defined way of playing. I am not a ranter and raver, more of a manager who works things out.”
Sam has worked with Ryan Giggs on his coaching badges, having taken a big interest in that side of football for a long time.
He has coached the Wales Under-16 and now has the task of leading Wrexham to promotion next season, the 11th since they were relegated and ended an 87-years stay in the Football League.
He is the eighth manager to be put in charge at Vanarama National League level – following Andy Morrell, Billy Barr, Kevin Wilkin, Dean Saunders, Carl Darlington, Gary Mills, Dean Keates and Andrew Davies.
The Dragons’ new manager . . . .
1 Was a keen rider and stable boy until turning to football at the age of 14
2 Is a leader, softly spoken and vastly experienced. Leads by example.
3 Was born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire and shares a birthday, October 11, with Sir Bobby Charlton, who is 44 years his senior.
4 Helped Swansea earn promotion to League One in his first season at the club and was named in the PFA Team of the Year.
5 Ended his playing career in November 2016 due to a knee injury.
6 Was born in England, but qualified for Wales through his grandmother and won more than 50 caps for his country.
7 Ricketts made his Wales debut in November 2005 in a friendly against Hungary in Cardiff, a match which was John Toshack’s first in charge.
8 Scored 13 goals during his career and one of them sparked a pitch invasion at Molineux when Wolves won the League One title in 2013-14. He cut in from the right wing and curled a left-footed shot into the top corner from 25-yards out.