
George Dobson "focused" on match against Charlton Athletic
Dobson, a former Charlton captain, spent three "brilliant" years at the Valley, but is now on the verge of gaining promotion with his new side.
A win for Wrexham on Saturday night, coupled with Wycombe Wanderers dropping points at Leyton Orient will result in a third successive promotion and a place in the Championship next season.
The midfield maestro admitted that he had received a couple of texts from his former teammates ahead of the game, but is fully focused on delivering a result.
He said: "I had a couple, had a couple earlier on in the week, but I've dialled it down a bit.
"I had three brilliant years there and really enjoyed it at Charlton, met a lot of special people that I'm still close with but it always seems to be that things like that happen and you end up playing former teams when it matters the most but I'm just focused on the game and really hoping we can deliver like we did on Monday and deliver like we did on Monday."
Dobson has called on the Wrexham faithful to create an "electric atmosphere" at the SToK Cae Ras tomorrow night.
When asked about the impact the fans can make, he replied: "Huge, I think they've just got to do what they have done all season and bring the energy.
"Bring the atmosphere, because it's such a brilliant stadium when it's full, which it has been all season and they can really generate that electric atmosphere and make it like a cup final sort of feeling and I just can't wait for the game now and I'm really looking forward to it."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's powerful transfer tactic gets reintroduced at Wrexham
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's powerful transfer tactic gets reintroduced at Wrexham Wrexham's owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have been forced to step in again to help land key transfers as the club faces tougher competition in the Championship Phil Parkinson has asked Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to get on the phone to a Wrexham transfer target (Image:) Wrexham's Hollywood owners have had to revert to their old ways as they look to get transfer deals over the line. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney first bought Wrexham in February 2021 when the club was in the National League. The North Wales side's lowly position at the time meant the two actors sometimes had to intervene to persuade top players to drop down from higher divisions. Their key strategy involved making a personal phone call to Phil Parkinson's main targets to convince them that their ambitions for the club were real. The tactic was most notably used to secure the signing of star striker Paul Mullin from Cambridge United in July 2021. The Red Dragons have since achieved promotion in each of their last three seasons, taking them from non-league's top tier to the Championship. Club director Shaun Harvey said in May that Wrexham's success meant Reynolds and McElhenney were no longer required to step in, with players queuing up to join. Speaking to the Fearless in Devotion fan podcast, the former EFL chief executive said: "Rob and Ryan do speak to all of them, but it's usually afterwards. Famously, they did speak with Paul Mullin to tell him that they were serious. "When we were in the National League, they did need to become more involved to convince players that this wasn't just a scam. They don't need to get on a telephone call now to tell players that we're serious. Article continues below Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has asked the club's owners to help him get a transfer deal over the line (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images ) "They can see that for themselves. The agents ring us now so we don't need to deploy them as much because of that." However, around three months on, and with Parkinson looking to assemble a squad capable of competing in the second tier, the manager has now revealed they have already put in a call to at least one potential recruit this summer. Speaking to New Zealand news outlet Stuff, he said: "We're looking to sign a player and we've got a lot of competition to get the signature. I spoke to Rob and Ryan about it so they put a call in to the player as well, explained the back story and why we wanted them." Watch Welcome to Wrexham season 4 on Disney+ This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more from £4.99 Disney+ Get Disney+ here Product Description Welcome to Wrexham is back on Disney+ for a fourth season. Fans can watch the series with a £4.99 monthly plan, or get 12 months for the price of 10 by paying for a year upfront. Although the identity of the target was not disclosed, Wrexham have been linked with several big name stars this summer. They include Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy, Fulham captain Tom Cairney and ex-West Ham duo Aaron Cresswell and Danny Ings. Parkinson has so far made two signings during the current transfer window. Plymouth striker Ryan Hardie was the first arrival on June 16, followed by Leicester City goalkeeper Danny Ward on Tuesday. The manager's request for Reynolds and McElhenney's intervention follows Wrexham being warned they will find it tough to repeat their recent successes next season. The note of caution was sounded by football finance expert Kieran Maguire due to the existence of a number of billionaire club owners in the Championship. Sign up to our newsletter! Wrexham is the Game is great new way to get top-class coverage Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'. But does it have a dedicated, quality source of information piped through to your inbox each week, free of ads but packed with informed opinion, analysis and even a little bit of fun each week? That's where Wrexham is the Game steps in... Available every Wednesday, it provides all the insights you need to be a top red. And for a limited time, a subscription to 'Wrexham is the Game' will cost fans just £15 for the first year. Sign up for Wrexham is the Game here Article continues below The presence of newly-relegated Premier League teams in receipt of parachute payments also poses an issue, despite Reynolds and McElhenney's estimated combined net worth of more than £300m. Speaking on the Second Tier podcast, Maguire said: "I think the big issue for them is that you are against some pretty senior citizens. You're up against clubs where the owners have been quite happy to put in £300,000 to £400,000 a week like Steve Gibson at Middlesbrough. "Even the likes of Preston and Milwall, they've been losing £1m a month. All of a sudden it becomes a completely different beast. Yes, they will be connected with some big names, but at the same time they're going to find it not as easy."


Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Jota loved so much more than football - this is such a heartbreaking tragedy
Diogo Jota was a man who loved so much more than football. Football was a part of his life. Something he was very good at and deservedly won major honours in. A Premier League winner, a player who lifted the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup, a Championship trophy and two Nations League titles. Jota loved football but he loved life outside of the sport, too. A husband and father to three beautiful children just last week. His wife, Rute Cardoso, who he married just under two weeks ago, will be suffering more than anyone. But she can take comfort from just how adored her husband was, not just as a footballer but also as a person. Jota was a quiet character when it came to media duties. Sometimes he would need to be encouraged to speak and, when he did, he would be shy and reserved but always willing to respond to questions. A year ago, on Liverpool's pre-season tour of America, he wanted to speak. He addressed his previous injury problems, his admiration for Jurgen Klopp and his eagerness to impress Arne Slot. Jota would do that during pre-season and the start of the new era under the Dutchman, only for injury problems to return. As ever, Jota worked tirelessly on his own time to ensure he could return to fitness as quickly as possible. It was a tough injury. It was another awkward muscle problem that just wouldn't heal seamlessly. Yet Jota tried everything to get fit. And he would, returning to help Liverpool over the line in their pursuit of Liverpool's 20th title and his first in the top-tier. Those who knew him well would argue his determination to regain fitness was not just to help the club but also to help his people and others around him. That's the type of man Jota was. He had his own battles but he cared more about others. He had a passion for Esports, ran teams and played himself. Something of a distraction from the pressures of the real thing. He even won the inaugural ePremier League tournament in 2020. He grew up in Gondomar, northern Portugal, and his parents Joaquim and Isabel were still paying for him to play for the local club until the age of 16. Speaking about his youth he said: 'This hunger has been with me ever since I can remember. In my youth, growing up, I never played for the big teams. I think when we are young we always believe. But I probably did not believe that I could reach Liverpool.' He achieved his dream in 2020, moving from Wolves in a £41million transfer. It was a deal which came out of nowhere. Jota had impressed with Wolves in the Championship and Premier League, but it was Liverpool who swooped to pick him up. He was a key part of Liverpool's quadruple chase in 2022 and won the FA Cup and League Cup but they fell short in the Premier League and European cup under Jurgen Klopp. With the arrival of Slot, the Dutchman was hoping there would be some stability in attack. Jota started the season up front and impressed in a hybrid role under Slot before injury shortened his season again. But he returned later in the campaign to help the Reds close out the season. His six goals and four assists played their part in the Reds lifting their 20th league title. He told the Liverpool official website last month: 'It is a remarkable achievement for a small guy that came from Gondomar, where I had this dream. To arrive at this moment was outstanding.' Jota got his hands on a Premier League trophy before helping Portugal to their second Nations League crown a month later. He seemed primed to be part of Liverpool's title defence, Champions League chase and Portugal's bid for the World Cup next summer. But football would lose a fine footballer in such tragic circumstances. Even more tragically, the Jota family lost a son, a husband, and dad in a horrific car crash which also claimed the life of his brother Andre. A heartbreaking tragedy for football but much more so for his loved ones.


Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Hamilton Accies boss targets 'half a dozen' new signings for League One title tilt
John Rankin is preparing his new-look side for life at Broadwood in League One Hamilton Accies boss John Rankin says he wants up to six new players ahead of the new league season. The Broadwood club have been linked with the return of defender Ricki Lamie, and addition of former Stenhousemuir forward Matty Yates and ex-Dunfermline stopper Aaron Comrie, who are believed to have agreed terms. Rankin also says 'two or three' youngsters from the club's academy will also be promoted to the first team, ahead of their League One title tilt. The Accies gaffer said: 'I don't think we need many at all. If we add four or five players to what we have, and if we can get half a dozen that would be ideal. 'I always try to improve, to make the squad better and bring in better players, and I'll be striving to do that. 'I think the more talent we can have in the squad, the better it becomes, but the thing we can't forget is this league is about graft, hard work, the fundamentals and winning individual battles, so we need different qualities within the squad, and we have that. 'We have leaders here, but I would like a few more, to make sure that we can take accountability and show those characteristics on the pitch.' Hamilton kept 16 players from last season, with Steven Bradley, Dean Lyness, Tony Gallagher, Fergus Owens, Stephen Hendrie, Dylan McGowan, Cian Newbury, Lee Kilday, Ben Williamson, Barry Maguire, Connor Smith, Kyle MacDonald, Kevin O'Hara, Oli Shaw, Scott Robinson and Stuart McKinstry all staying on. Rankin said: 'Retaining players and keeping them at the club was important to what we;re trying to do. 'When I met a lot of them over the summer, we were in-between stadiums, in and out of various hotels and different locations, and that becomes hard, because players know they're moving stadiums, but it's not quite confirmed. 'When we sat down and spoke, the players were committed to the football side of things, they wanted to stay. They enjoy the club, the way they're made to feel, and playing for the jersey and the supporters. 'They wanted to stay, and play for ourselves, so we were delighted with that, and we're making sure that we keep that core squad together. 'We were competitive last season in the Championship, and keeping the majority of them together was important to us. 'Obviously boys have wanted to move on, some were out of contract and others had different clauses to go, which is their choice. 'By my count we lost 11 last season, with loans, but I'm delighted that we've been able to keep the bulk of it. 'There's a lot of potential there, a lot of talent, and we need to make sure we continue to get the most out of them and drive them to new levels, but also make sure we build their confidence so we can start the season the way we want to.' Rankin says having young players Cian Newbury, Fergus Owens and Ben Williamson back from injury will be like three new signings. He said: 'Cian had a great debut season, but needed to play consistent games, so went out on loan to Dumbarton and won a promotion, did really well, came back and did his cruciate, unfortunately for him. 'He's joining in pre-season just now, wee bits of running, some bits of ball work, so hopefully he's not too far away. 'Fergus we will need to be a wee bit more patient with, he'll be slightly longer, but he will be like a new signing. 'Ben is building himself up, so hopefully we get him back soon and get them on the pitch. 'They will be like three new players, but we can't expect them to go from doing nothing for six, seven, eight months to a year to foot to the floor straight away. 'We need to be patient with them, to make sure they have the right bodies and strength to help them on their pathway to try and recover. 'But I will be delighted to get them back, they will be big players for us this season, and ultimately they missed the bulk of last season.'