Craig Wood sees the funny side after being doused with champagne after the final match of their championship winning season
The future is bright for Shaw Lane Aquaforce.
Their chairman is the dedicated businessman Craig Wood, who has committed himself to propelling his club from the depths of Sunday League and up the Non League pyramid.
Wood built his business up from just himself to a huge workforce and he has applied the same skills to growing his football club.
Some may not agree, but the Aquaforce story is quite remarkable in the sense how quickly they have rose through the system.
“We were a pub side called the Wilthorpe,” says Sheffield Wednesday fan Wood, starting the tale of how Aquaforce have emerged as one of the most powerful Non League clubs in Yorkshire.
“I was player-manager and I did everything.
“There was a cup game against Athersley Rec and I think five or six turned up.
“It was at that point that I decided if I was going to stay in football then I’m not going to be messed about.
“I then got introduced to (current director of football) Doug (O’Connor), who ran a successful side and we linked up and we won quite a few things.
“It was actually (friend and Pontefract joint manager) Nick Handley who said that we were never going to get anywhere on a Sunday and that we needed to be playing on a Saturday.
“We have moved quicker than I thought we would. I never envisaged we would be this involved in football.
“It has gathered momentum. When I got my taste for Saturday football and saw what could be achieved with investment and a good team, that’s when I bought into it.
“Prior to the South Yorkshire Amateur League, I had never been involved in Saturday football.
“I just had a box at Hillsborough and I spent my money on that.”
Shaw Lane Aquaforce chairman Craig Wood with the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division trophy
Aquaforce, who have had a variety of name-changes, sped through the local leagues at lightening speed and were promoted to the Toolstation Northern Counties East League in 2012.
They went onto to win promotion out of Division One at the first attempt.
In their Premier Division championship-winning season, Aquaforce grabbed the national spotlight by reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Vase.
Wood also appeared on National radio station Talksport to discuss one of his side’s draws.
Whilst he is immensely proud of winning the league, the Vase run is special to him.
“We have never entered the FA Vase and to get as far as we did was magnificent,” he says reflecting.
“I do genuinely believe if we had got through against Glossop it would have been at the detriment of the league title.
“It would have meant playing three games a week for the rest of the season and the focus would have been more on Wembley.
“You can look upon it as a blessing, but we gained financially out of the competition and certainly it put the club on the map.
“We went to places like West Auckland who were the favourites to win the Vase and they had never heard of us.
“At the start of the season, I was happy just to get through a couple of rounds, but when you look at the teams we beat, it was fantastic.
“In that respect, what a great season it has been for Shaw Lane in terms of establishing ourselves at this level.”
Shaw Lane Aquaforce captain Sam Denton lifts the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division trophy in the air
Shaw Lane captain Sam Denton and goalkeeper Ben Gathercole look deflated after Shaw Lane lost the FA Vase quarter-final replay at Glossop
Promotion to Division One of the Evo Stik does provide plenty of challenges.
But, as the owner of Aquaforce Plumbing Solutions since 2003, Wood is vastly-experienced in solving problems.
He wants his team to aim for a fifth straight promotion, but he has to ensure that the ground is good enough for the Premier Division.
Pitch renovations for taking place in time for pre-season friendlies and he is spearheading the work to make sure the Shaw Lane complex passes the Grade D certificate for Premier Division football.
One thing he won’t do is go over-the-top and commission work that is not necessary
“I’ve said this all along that you’re not going to have a 6,000 all-seater stadium when you are playing in the Evo Stik,” he added.
“We have a ground that is suitable for the Evo Stik. We have got to do a little bit of work to get the grade D to get into the Evo Stik Premier.
“After that we would have to do a fair bit of work to be honest to get into the Conference North.
“It is all achievable and all doable, but it is about doing it in stages and doing it when the time is right which we have done so far.
“It puts a lot of demands off-the-field for the staff we have and me particularly financially and then there is timescales.
“If you are doing well in the league you have to make decision whether you go for it because you have to get the ground up to standard by the 31st March.
“I think we have gaged it quite well so far.”
Shaw Lane do have limitations in how much can be done to improve the ground as it is a three-sided ground.
But, Wood is not a defeatist.
He says: “There is a danger we may hit a glass ceiling because of the ground and I’m under no-illusions that the higher you go the harder it is on-and-off-the-field.
“You are starting to play with the big boys and certainly in the Evo Stik Premier, you’re playing against towns and cities.
“If this club keeps progressing on-the-field there is a danger that we can’t keep up with them off-the-field, but there will always be options.
“It is about doing things when the time is right so we will try and keep up with the team, put it that way.
“I don’t want to stand in the way of progress on-the-field so we will always find a way of not denying them promotions.”
And who would not believe him. Aquaforce have already have flew further than many people wanted and thought they would.