Could one of our Yorkshire sides be enjoying scenes like this when Curzon Ashton won the Evo Stik Division One North at Harrogate Railway
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A look at the hopes and expectations for our Yorkshire clubs in the Evo Stik Leagues ahead of the opening day on Saturday.
Premier Division
Frickley Athletic
Reprieved last season, Karl Rose has another chance to stabilise Frickley in the Premier Division.
Keeping Gavin Allott was crucial and it certainly gives them goals and the recruitment of experienced midfielder Matty Young and lively striker Ryan Williams are wise-ones.
Rose has also turned to the Northern Counties East League for a lot of his other signings and they’re massive gambles.
Centre-half John Cyrus and striker Ash Flynn have always done well in the NCEL Division One, but they’re stepping up three leagues so they will have to adapt quickly.
The good news for Frickley has been the announcement of their partnership with the Mob Film Company which as their chairman Gareth Dando says in the behind the scenes video, “it’s going to create a buzz around the Town”.
Pick of new signings: John Cyrus (Shaw Lane Aquaforce), Aaron Joseph (Pontefract Collieries), Matty Young (Farsley AFC), Ryan Williams (Ossett Town), Ash Flynn (Shaw Lane Aquaforce).
Verdict: Relegation Candidates
Evo Stik Division One North
Brighouse Town captain Leon Henry and his side will easily adapt to Evo Stik Division One North football
Brighouse Town
With one of the best attacking line-ups in Yorkshire in recent memory at step four and five, Brighouse should have no trouble in adapting to Evo Stik football.
With Tom Matthews, Ernest Boafo, Daniel Nadiole, Ryan Hall, plus others, Brighouse have a fantastic team who are all good enough to step up.
I, for one, would buy a season ticket to watch Brighouse each week. Paul Quinn has developed an exciting brand of football which will terrorise Evo Stik opposition.
Brighouse have to also use their ground to their advantage. Small and tight, Brighouse have to turn their ground into a fortress and make sure it is an intimidating place to visit for the opposition.
New signings: Shaquille Clarke-Adams (Ossett Town)
Verdict: Surprise package
Farsley AFC
It’s not been the quiet summer Neil Parsley hoped for. Parsley only wanted to make a couple of signings and has instead had to bring multiple players in.
Farsley narrowly missed out on the play-offs, despite a fabulous run from October to February and Parsley had aimed to keep more-or-less everyone.
Tom Morgan and Paddy Miller’s departures were a big shock so he had to look for more new faces. The return of powerful centre-half James Riley is also like having a new signing.
One difference to last season is that Farsley have far more depth. At times, two or three injuries left them threadbare, but that shouldn’t be an issue this year.
New signings: Charlie Clamp (BPA), Spencer Harris (BPA), Jason St Juste (Shaw Lane Aquaforce), Marcus Edwards (Eccleshill United), Lewis Nightingale (Mossley), Jake Lofthouse, Lewis Morgan (Thackley).
Verdict: Top Half Finish
Nathan Cartman is once again featuring for Harrogate Railway this season
Harrogate Railway
Carry on from where you left off has to be the message from Billy Miller and his assistant Lee Ashforth.
Railway enjoyed a brilliant campaign and deservedly finished in mid-table.
Miller and Ashforth have retained every single player from last season, apart Colin Hunter who has retired.
So the likes of wing wizard Rob Youhill and goal machine Nathan Cartman remain at Station View and will play alongside the few new faces that Railway have signed.
New signings: Jason Mycoe (Wakefield FC), Harry Coates (Harrogate Town, dual-registered), Ryan Sharrocks, Karl Dean.
Verdict: Mid-table finish
Ossett Albion manager Richard Tracey (right) and his assistant Eric Gilchrist (left) are hoping to have a much better season in the Evo Stik Division One North. Picture: Adam Hirst
Ossett Albion
Ossett go down as relegation candidates, but if they start the season in the manner they finished the last one, Albion could have an enjoyable campaign.
Most of the side that finished the season remain at Dimple Wells. The likes of David Brown and Ryan Harrison have enjoyed an pre-season by scoring plenty of goals.
That needs to continue and Albion have a great chance to kick off their season with a win on Saturday at Prescot Cables.
New signings: Nicky Matthews (Thackley), Luke Richardson (Thackley), Matthew Thompson (Liversedge), Neil Bennett (Wakefield FC), Ross Hardaker (Wakefield FC)
Verdict: Relegation Candidates
Ossett Town
It’s not quite been the summer signing spree that Bill Fotherby almost promised, but John Reed has still made some impressive moves in the transfer market.
Dave Merris and Rob Bordman’s captures are eye-catching and the pair have been proving their worth in pre-season. Bordman’s sensational free kick against Bradford City surely sets the tone for another goal-laden campaign for him.
Ossett were strong last season, more so in the second half of the campaign and they will be again.
New signings: Rob Bordman (Ossett Town), Dave Merris (Harrogate Town), Nathan Curtis (Bradford City), Ross Armstrong (local football), Brad Dixon (Leeds United), Danny Stimpson (ex Worksop Town)
Verdict: Top Half Finish
Scarborough boss Rudy Funk has kept his signings low-key this year
Scarborough Athletic
Last season was a massive underachievement for a club the size of Scarborough and also because of the number of major signings they had made. Scarborough relied heavily on Ryan Blott and Gary Bradshaw and they secured the Seadog’s seventh-place.
Rudy Funk has made a couple of good signings, but this isn’t Scarborough’s year for success, in some ways they would have been better staying in the South. The North East and North West are going to dominate the Division in 2014-15. Sides are Salford City and Darlington 1883, among others, are too strong.
New signings: Jimmy Ghaichem (Frickley Athletic), Steve Burton, Danny Chambers (Hull City), Tom Burgin (Worksop Town), Paul Robson (North Ferriby), Kieron McCaffrey (Scunthorpe)
Verdict: Top half / mid-table contenders
Division One South
Goole AFC
There’s been a lot of interest in Goole since the takeover by Baron Bloom. After a brief flirtation with David Holdsworth, Bloom has settled on Curtis Woodhouse as the man to lead them to success.
Woodhouse has raided his old club Sheffield FC for a number of his new signings. The pick of the bunch is goal machine Andy Gascoigne, who recently had a trial at Northampton. Gascoigne had at least one Toolstation NCEL Premier Division side were interested in him.
New signings: Luke Hinsley (Frickley Athletic), Callum Harrison (Sheffield FC), Ben Turner (Sheffield FC), Dan Wilkinson (Loughborough University), Steve Woolley (Sheffield FC), Andy Gascoigne (Sheffield FC).
Verdict: Play-offs challenge
Former AFC Emley left-back Liam Schofield is one of a host of new faces at Stocksbridge Park Steels
Stocksbridge Park Steels
This season is all about rebuilding and consolidating and Chris Hilton has a big job on his hands.
Stocksbridge go into the season opener at Norton United in the worst possible fashion having being beaten 3-0 at Handsworth Parramore and Ossett Albion alongside only managing a 2-2 draw at Worsbrough Bridge.
Hilton has always said that it will take time and patience is needed. The loss of Nathan Joynes to injury is a big blow and the Steels will be much stronger when he returns.
New signings: Chris White (Worsbrough Bridge), Lee Garside (Worsbrough Bridge), Ryan Laight (Worsbrough Bridge), Liam Flynn (Goole AFC), Sam Andrews (Shirebrook Town), Korey Dyer-Stewart (Frickley Athletic), Harrison Biggins (Barnsley), Johnny Irvine (AFC Emley, dual-registered). Danny Joynes (Athersley Recreation), Liam Schofield (Ossett Albion)
Verdict: Mid-table finish