Yet when Dean Brennan heard that Swindon Town wanted him at the County Ground earlier this month, the Irishman swiftly pledged his loyalty to Barnet. Why?
“A lot of people get hung up about working in the EFL,” explains Brennan, a left-winger who spent his entire playing career in Non-League with the likes of Hitchin, Stevenage, Grays and Halesowen.
“Well, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the National League whatsoever. Yeah, it’s technically NonLeague, but come on. There are 12 or 14 teams here who would easily – and I mean easily – hold their own in League Two.
“Who was the last team to come straight back down? I can’t remember one. Who are the favourites for that division next year? Probably Chesterfield.
“Stockport and Wrexham, okay they’ve had major investment. But then you look at Barrow. Pete Wild was managing Halifax in our division not so long ago. Now his team are knocking on the door of League One.
“Even Crawley, who just won the play-offs. Laurie Maguire, Danilo Orsi - half their players have played in the National League. There’s nothing in it as far as I’m concerned.
“Listen, the offer from Swindon was flattering. I have to be honest about that. It was majorly flattering for me.
“But home is where the heart is, and my heart was at Barnet. There’s a lot of stability here. It’s very professional. With the greatest of respect to Swindon, it just made sense for me to stay and finish the job I’d started.”
The job started two-and-a-half years ago, when Brennan swapped his role as Barnet’s head of football to take control of a side that had just finished rock bottom of a 22-team National League.
This story is from the May 26, 2024 edition of The Non-League Football Paper.
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This story is from the May 26, 2024 edition of The Non-League Football Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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