Kevin Wilkin outlines Telford's biggest problem – and how the club plans to tackle it

After passing four years in the job, Telford boss Kevin Wilkin has spoken openly about the biggest problem he thinks the club is facing, and what is being done to solve it.

The 59-year-old has overseen a period of great change at the club, from relegation to the Southern Central Premier League to promotion back into the National League North and a revitalised connection between supporters and the club.

The 2026/27 campaign has not started as hoped, though, and Wilkin shared his assessment on the club’s position four years after he first walked through the doors at The SEAH Stadium.

“When I arrived this club was in a very, very difficult place,” Wilkin explained. “We weren’t able to stay in the division, which was the first time that had happened to me in my career, and it was really tough for me not to be able to do something about it.

“Once we were able to bring our own players in and we stayed true to our beliefs, despite that disappointment in play-off final in the first season.

“I do believe we built a really strong team and I think you could see that last season, so it has been difficult trying to build on that while losing as many players as we did in the summer.

“If you look at the team on Saturday compared to last season’s team there’s probably only three regular starters that were available to us, and that really is a massive turnaround.

“We’re identifying the right players and then losing them for nothing, and when you haven’t got the funds that some of the other clubs have at this level you have to have a strategy and a way of being able to keep those players on board.

“There were some great, proper players in that squad last year that were on an upward curve, and if this club wants to move forward we needed to retain them.”

Crucially, Wilkin also revealed that the club have made progress in their search for a permanent training ground.

“It has always been evident to me that the club needs one,” he said. “That would be a big lift for everybody at the club, and I think we’re now close to that being the case.

“That’s positive news and forms a big part of the infrastructure that needs to be right for the club to be moving forward and operating at this level and possibly beyond it.

“I think we need to look more at the structure of the club to help us avoid losing good players when we get them, because while it does also come down to finances there are other avenues that we can be more competitive.

“We want to be really competitive at this level and beyond, and something I’ve learned in my four years here is if everyone at the club is aligned, that’s players, staff, fans, everyone, then we can be successful.”