CONTRIBUTE TO BUILD THE BUDGET HERE
So how much have you given to “Build The Budget?” A personal question, I know, but if football isn’t personal, what is?

Following your team has, since those early days or organised football in the late 1800s, been much more than the distraction from the worries of life that people claim it is. Supporting your team is a primary concern in your life. It’s not the be-all and end-all: that Manchester United banner “UTD-KIDS-WIFE IN THAT ORDER” fails to understand, in all its strained misogyny, that family and friendship is more important than a game. But if you’re a true fan, little else is.

Wrexham are lucky because we’ve got more true fans than most. How many clubs would have taken 900 fans to Southport, even though we were fifteenth and looking awful at the time?

The timing is right for this campaign. The idea of raising funds for Dean Keates was raised earlier in the season, and the board said the time wasn’t right. Some disagreed, feeling that an offer of support from fans shouldn’t be turned down, but the decision has now been vindicated. The board had faith in Keates’ ability to turn things around with what financial support they were able to give him, and now they can reap the benefit from their good judgement. Having secured our safety without needing to turn to the fans, we can now do so in the knowledge that the investment will go towards building an exciting future, and not have to be squandered on remedial work as Keates repairs the mess he inherited.

Keates achievement makes a compelling argument for dipping into your pocket. If he can turn things round like this without help, imagine what he could achieve with it! The little man thinks big, and we can help him to achieve his ambitions.

Wrexham fans know we’ve got a special situation, able to run our own club and influence the direction it goes. Now we have an opportunity to make a direct impact on what happens on the pitch next season.

I understand and respect the idea that by buying tickets matches and merchandise, you’re contributing to the club already. However, this feels like a pivotal moment for the club. There’s an enhanced sense, which the board have grasped, that the club is pulling together in a manner which might have huge repercussions. It feels like time to grasp the moment.

Any investment is a step into the unknown. However, some steps into the unknown are rather more treacherous than others. A bet on Chelsea to win the Premier League feels somewhat safer than slapping £600 on David Moyes winning the Manager of the Year award, for example.

Investing in Keates feels like a safe bet, as there’s every reason to believe that the money raised for him will be spent wisely. The great mystery of last Summer was how a squad so patently inferior to the previous season’s could cost the same amount. The answer is depressingly obvious.

In contrast, now we have a manager who is keen to invest methodically and extract maximum value from his budget. That’s why giving him a helping hand is an investment rather than a shot in the dark.

This is my column from last week’s Leader. It forms part of the paper’s comprehensive pre-match coverage every Friday, featuring interviews, an in-depth look at the opposition and lots of statistical analysis. All content in the column (c) www.leaderlive.co.uk.