Ian Richards is wanting Penistone to aim for promotion next season
Ian Richards is going to throw down the gauntlet down to his Penistone Church players to go even further next season by aiming for promotion.
Penistone have achieved Richards’ expectations of a Toolstation NCEL Division One top ten finish in their first ever season in the league.
Richards always ruled out challenging the top two, but that is the plan when the 2014-15 campaign kicks off in August.
“Next season I’m going to be ambitious and saying I want promotion,” Richards told Non League Yorkshire.
“That’ll be our target. I want to bring in three new players and have a good pre-season.
“Our target will be promotion or be in the mix of top six and keep progressing.
“We have had the fourth highest attendance this season so the club is on the move.
“Our reserves have been promoted to the (Sheffield & Hallamshire) County Senior Premier and we’re building on and we’ll become more ambitious.
“Saturday was a brilliant occasion because of the crowd. We took over six seasons ago and no disrespect to the club it was in a little bit of a mess.
“It was coasting. We were only getting 30 or 40 watching and there was no ambition.
“The club has come so far since.”
Penistone did receive a shock last Saturday when leaders Pontefract thrashed them 7-0 in the final game of the GroundHop weekend in front of over 500 people.
The result does not take the shine off an excellent campaign – one that former Halifax Town midfielder Richards is proud of.
“We have done really well this season,” he said.
“It was disappointing on Saturday night that we saved our worst performance of the season for our biggest crowd of the season.
“For a first season at NCEL football with 75% of the players playing at their highest ever level, it is a great season.
“If we win three out of our last four we have 70 points. 70 points in our first season and it is something to build on.
“What I said on Saturday was that we want to be next year where Pontefract are.
“We have got to bring two or three players in.
“But, as a first season I’m really pleased. We have beaten Clipstone twice, drawn both times with Hemsworth, run Emley close twice, won at Bottesford so it is a really good season.
“I’m not disappointed with the season.
“It has always been about getting in the top ten. We haven’t got the financial resources to bring players in so it about developing them.
“We have achieved it comfortably as we haven’t been out of the top ten all season. When you asked me about promotion (at the start of the season), I knew it was too soon.”
Penistone host hopeless Lincoln Moorlands Railway tomorrow.