Karl Rose’s Frickley escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth after a final day draw with Curzon
Here is the second of Non League Yorkshire’s season reviews for clubs in the region. Frickley Athletic is up this time, kindly written by supporter Chris Howden.
Being one of Yorkshire’s highest placed non league clubs, Frickley Athletic certainly felt an element of pressure to stay in the Evo-Stik’s top flight, a feat they only managed by the skin of their teeth.
In manager Karl Rose’s third pre season regime in charge, he had to rebuild an entirely new squad, with experienced faces such as Gavin Allott and Matty Young joined by unproven NCEL players, such as Shaw Lane Aquaforce duo, John Cyrus and Ashley Flynn. This mass recruitment ultimately lead to a disappointing pre season, where an emphatic win against Garforth Town was overshadowed by losses to Hemsworth Miners Welfare and North Ferriby.
This slow start gradually slipped into the league, where Frickley won only one of their first eight league games, and found them languishing bottom of the Premier Division by mid September, as well as crashing out of the FA Cup to Farsley AFC. However, the tipping point seemed to be a crushing win against then unbeaten FC United of Manchester, as the Blues comprehensively beat them 4-1 at Westfield Lane. This win lead to a good run of mid season form, in which Frickley were within touching distance of the play offs.
The good form did not last long, though. A 1-0 away loss at Ilkeston paved the way for a dismal run of form, with only 3 wins in the final 3 months of the league campaign, relegation loomed for Frickley. The club staved of relegation thanks only to a stunning free kick from Macaulay Parkinson, in the final game of the season, which earned Frickley a draw against soon-to-be promoted Curzon Ashton.
However, the Blues did offset their miserable league campaign with a good run in the Sheffield Cup, overcoming tricky tests against AFC Emley and Handsworth Parramore to set up a local tie against Nostell Miner’s Welfare in the final. A great all round team performance and a vocal display from the ‘Frickley Ultras’ ensured a win as the self declared ‘Super Blues’ won their 13th Sheffield Senior Cup.
One of the successes of the season, however, was the emergence of several young talents. Defender Cyrus has made the step up with ease to the Evo-Stik, putting in commanding performances alongside his back four. Forward Reece Thompson, signed in October from Retford United, has hit 16 goals in 30 games since joining, whereas teenage winger Brad Dockerty has made the leap from under 19s to senior football remarkably well, and joins Thompson in being contracted for the 2015/16 season.
While the 2014/15 season may have been an improvement on the last, Frickley still have a long way to go in their search for mid table obscurity, however, with a new £660,000 community football centre being built soon, things are certainly looking much, much more brighter at Westfield Lane.
Many thanks to Chris Howden.
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