Bridlington Town are laying down the foundations for the future this season, according to Gary Allanson
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Gary Allanson is hoping to lay the foundations down at Bridlington Town this season in a bid to build a successful future for the Seasiders.
The experienced lads like captain Tom Fleming, Craig Hogg, Tom Lee, Chris Jenkinson and his own son Ashley remain at Queensgate, but Allanson has recruited a lot of young players.
Bridlington are going with youth this season and Allanson has been helped by his new assistants Andy Foster (last season’s Hall Road Rangers manager) and Steve Mulligan (Beverley Town assistant) in leading the overhaul.
Bridlington have signed Hall Road’s top striker Chris Adams as well as a host of other new faces from either Hall Road and Beverley.
“We’re definitely going with a young side this season – that’s the new philosophy,” Allanson told Non League Yorkshire.
“We’ve brought a lot of new lads in and it is not a short term (project), it’s a long term goal for us.
“Sometimes you have to be brave in your decisions and with myself and Steve and Andy, we have all dealt with young players in our coaching repertoire.
“They’re a lot of learning to do for the players, but we have a great spine to the team from the experienced lads.
“Going with youth has always been in our minds, but it is about getting the right mix.
“We’ve pulled the best of the younger players from Hall Road Rangers and also pulled the better players from Beverley Town.
“With Andy being so successful with Hall Road Rangers last season bringing young players through along with Steve Mulligan, it was a great opportunity to work together.
“We have known each other for a lot of years and we have always been on the periphery of working together.
“We have a chance now and all three of us are on the same wavelength.”
Only Frank Belt, who has joined Pickering Town and new Barton Town Old Boys players Joel Sutton and Rikki Paylor have not returned to Bridlington this summer.
Allanson has not set a specific target for his team in the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division this season and is not getting drawn into the hype about how exciting the league could be.
He insists his side are there to “enjoy the journey”.
“That’s the league, you will get teams come in and put a big budget in and attract players, but it all fazes out,” said the 2010 NCEL Premier Division title-winning manager.
“You look at December, January time, a lot of clubs start pulling their budgets because they’re not being successful.
“It evens itself. It’s going to competitive, it always is.
“You always get one or two teams that pay big money, but it’s swings and roundabouts.
“All we’re concerned about, been honest, is the big picture of Bridlington Town.
“We wanted to get the foundations put down for the long haul and that’s what we are doing.
“You have to look at the history of Bridlington Town and look at the chairman who has absolutely backed us to the hilt.
“The main thing after last season which was disappointing was to get the structure and the foundation right and I feel that’s absolutely spot on from the chairman down to the back room staff.
“It is just a case of getting the right players, right formation, right tactics.”