Dean Wells (English footballer)

Dean Thomas Wells (born 25 May 1985) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Stevenage and Brentford as a defender. He spent the majority of his career in non-League football and made over 330 appearances for Hampton & Richmond Borough and Braintree Town.

Dean Wells
Personal information
Full name Dean Thomas Wells[1]
Date of birth (1985-03-25) 25 March 1985[2]
Place of birth Twickenham, England[1]
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
0000–2003 Brentford
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2004 Brentford 1 (0)
2004–2011 Hampton & Richmond Borough 257 (14)
2011 Staines Town 4 (0)
2011–2014 Braintree Town 110 (6)
2014–2017 Stevenage 85 (7)
2017–2018 Boreham Wood 16 (0)
Total 473 (27)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Brentford

Wells began his career as a youth at Brentford and he embarked on a scholarship at the beginning of the 2001–02 season.[3] His first involvement with the first team came on 20 September 2003, when he was named as a substitute for a 2–1 Second Division win over Hartlepool United.[4] He was an unused substitute for the next two games and made his debut in a 3–0 league defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on 4 October 2003.[5] With the game already lost, Wells replaced Leo Roget after 81 minutes.[6] He made no further appearances and was released by manager Martin Allen at the end of the 2003–04 season.[7][8]

Hampton & Richmond Borough

Wells signed for Isthmian League Premier Division club Hampton & Richmond Borough in 2004.[9] In the 2004–05 season, the club missed out on a playoff place on goal difference.[10] Wells' season ended on a sour note after being sent off in the Isthmian League Cup final, which Hampton lost 3–1 to Slough Town.[11] He managed 41 appearances.[12] In 2005–06, Wells made 35 appearances and scored two goals as Hampton finished fifth and suffered a playoff final defeat to Fisher Athletic.[13] Wells made 40 appearances and scored two goals during the 2006–07 season and won the first silverware of his career as Hampton were promoted to the Conference South as Isthmian League Premier Division champions.[10][14] He was also made captain of the club.[9]

Wells enjoyed a good 2007–08 season in the Conference South, making 41 appearances and scoring one goal as Hampton qualified for the playoffs with a third-place finish,[15] though he again suffered playoff heartache as Hampton succumbed to a 2–0 defeat in the final to Eastbourne Borough.[16] Wells had a solid 2008–09 season, making 42 appearances and scoring three goals,[15] helping Hampton to a second-place finish.[10] He could bring them no luck in the playoffs, as Hampton lost 3–2 in the final to Hayes & Yeading United.[17] Wells made 32 appearances during the 2010–11 season and scored three goals.[15] He made over 260 appearances during his Hampton career.[18][19]

Prison sentence

Wells' career came to a halt on 27 April 2011 when he was one of a group of Brentford supporters charged with affray and sentenced to 12 months in prison for his involvement in a fight between Brentford and Leyton Orient supporters outside London's Liverpool Street station in May 2010.[9] He also received a banning order from football grounds for seven years.[20] He was released on 6 October 2011.[18]

Staines Town

Wells signed for Conference South club Staines Town on 14 October 2011.[18] He made only five appearances for the club before leaving the following month.[21][22]

Braintree Town

Wells signed for Conference Premier club Braintree Town in November 2011 and linked up with manager Alan Devonshire, who signed him for Hampton & Richmond Borough.[22][23] Wells stated that he was able to make the step up to the Conference Premier because of the gym work he had done in prison.[24] He made 26 appearances during the 2011–12 season and scored no goals.[25] He was a virtual ever-present during the 2012–13 season, making 43 appearances and scoring three goals.[26] He scored his first goal of the 2013–14 season in a 3–2 league victory at Wrexham on 24 September 2013.[27] He finished the season with 48 appearances and three goals and was named in the Conference Premier Team of the Year,[15][28] as the Iron narrowly failed to claim a playoff place.[29] Wells departed the club after the season,[30] after making 116 appearances and scoring six goals during his three seasons with the Iron.[21]

Stevenage

On 20 June 2014, Wells signed for League Two club Stevenage for a reported fee of £25,000.[30] After signing, he said "I started at Brentford and through my stupidity I threw it away. Now I'm older and wiser and I think I still I have a lot to offer".[31] Wells made his debut for Stevenage and his first-ever starting appearance in the Football League on the opening day of the 2014–15 season, in a 1–0 win over Hartlepool United.[32] He went on to become a regular during the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons,[32][33] before falling out of favour during 2016–17.[34] Wells made 97 appearances and scored seven goals for the club before his release at the end of the 2016–17 season.[7][35]

Boreham Wood

On 9 June 2017, Wells joined National League club Boreham Wood on a one-year contract, with the option of a further year,[36] combined with a coaching role in the club's academy.[37] He made 21 appearances before being forced into retirement after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament tear during an FA Trophy first round match versus Dartford on 19 December 2017.[21][38]

Personal life

Wells is a Brentford supporter.[39] He gave up a part-time job as a school caretaker in order to return to professional football with Stevenage.[40] His son Joe is also a footballer.[41]

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Brentford 2003–04[6] Second Division 1000000010
Hampton & Richmond Borough 2004–05[12] Isthmian League Premier Division 41000—00410
2005–06[13] 33200—2[lower-alpha 1]0352
2006–07[14] 39200—1[lower-alpha 1]0402
2007–08[15] Conference South 41100—00411
2008–09[15] 42300—00423
2009–10[21] 33300—1[lower-alpha 2]0343
2010–11[15] 28320—2[lower-alpha 2]0323
Total 2571420—6026514
Staines Town 2011–12[21] Conference South 4010——50
Braintree Town 2011–12[21] Conference Premier 260——3[lower-alpha 2]1291
2012–13[21] 42310—1[lower-alpha 2]0443
2013–14[21] 42330—2[lower-alpha 2]0473
Total 110640—611207
Stevenage 2014–15[32] League Two 43420103[lower-alpha 3]0494
2015–16[33] 28220101[lower-alpha 4]0322
2016–17[34] 14100101[lower-alpha 4]0161
Total 857403050977
Boreham Wood 2017–18[21] National League 16030—2[lower-alpha 2]0210
Career total 473271403018150828
  1. Appearances in Isthmian League Cup
  2. Appearances in FA Trophy
  3. 2 appearances in League Two play-offs, 1 appearance in EFL Trophy
  4. Appearance in EFL Trophy

Honours

Hampton & Richmond Borough

Individual

References
  1. "Dean Wells". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  2. "Dean Wells". 11v11. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  3. "Brentford Football Club". Archived from the original on 16 September 2002. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  4. "Match: Brentford v Hartlepool United – English League One". Espn Fc. 20 September 2003. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  5. "Match: Brentford v Sheffield Wednesday – English League One". Espn Fc. 4 October 2003. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  6. "Games played by Dean Wells in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  7. Dean Wells at Soccerbase
  8. "Bees to release quartet | Football News". Sky Sports. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  9. Kilvington, Joanna (1 May 2011). "Club captain jailed for football fight". Richmond and Twickenham Times. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  10. Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  11. Rance, Les. "Football: Bryco Cup Final – Hampton & Richmond 1 Slough Town 3". News Shopper. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  12. "SoccerFacts UK Player Details". soccerfactsuk.co.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  13. "football.mitoo". Football.mitoo.co. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  14. "football.mitoo". Football.mitoo.co. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  15. "Dean Wells Profile". Aylesbury United FC. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  16. "Blue Square North/South play-offs". BBC. 11 May 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  17. "Cup Competitions 2008–2009 Conference South Playoffs". www.sunderland-mad.co.uk. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  18. "Wells Handed Staines Chance". Pitchero Non League. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  19. "Blue Square Conference South guide – Hampton and Richmond Borough". Archived from the original on 25 November 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  20. Cheston, Paul (20 April 2011). "Far-Right youth leader is jailed over football brawl at station – News". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  21. Dean Wells at Soccerway. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  22. "New signing Dean Wells likely to be Braintree sub – Non-league". Green Un. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  23. "Dean Wells aiming for FA Cup first with Braintree Town at Newport County". Green Un. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  24. "Refocused Dean Back From The Wells Of Despair". The Non League Football Paper. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  25. "Games played by Dean Wells in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  26. "Games played by Dean Wells in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  27. "Wrexham 2–3 Braintree Town". BBC Sport. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  28. "Football Conference AGM & Awards Weekend". www.gateshead-fc.com. Archived from the original on 29 December 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  29. Braintree Town F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  30. Toyn, Dave. "Stevenage complete Dean Wells signing". Stevenage F.C Website. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  31. "Stevenage's new signing full of optimism three years after jail term". Hertfordshire Mercury. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  32. "Games played by Dean Wells in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  33. "Games played by Dean Wells in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  34. "Games played by Dean Wells in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  35. "Stevenage FC 2016/2017 Released List". Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  36. "Experienced Defender Joins Wood Army". www.borehamwoodfootballclub.co.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  37. "Dean Wells". www.borehamwoodfootballclub.co.uk. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  38. "Wellsy, It Was Great While It Lasted". Boreham Wood Football Club. 26 January 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  39. "Braintree Town: Dean Wells' marathon week in the Conference". BBC Sport. 4 April 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  40. "Dean Wells: Stevenage move 'emotional' for defender". BBC Sport. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  41. @markbfc (19 August 2014). "Made up for @wellsey19, whose son Joe has signed for Brentford's Academy today. #KeepItInTheFamily" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 – via Twitter.
  42. "Player of the Season 2014–2015". Stevenage FC History. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
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