Marcus Edwards has joined Albion Sports after leaving Eccleshill United
Star striker Marcus Edwards is not part of the new era under Mark Greaves at Eccleshill United.
The Bradford-based club are going with a traditional management structure after the partnership with RIASA ended.
Just two players remain from last season and Edwards has chosen to end his third stint at Eccleshill and try his luck at Toolstation NCEL Premier Division side Albion Sports.
Edwards is rated as one of the best players in Eccleshill’s history because of his goals record and the fact he scored the winning goal in the shock West Riding County Cup final victory over Harrogate Town in 2014.
The win at Valley Parade is regarded as the greatest night in Eccleshill’s history.
Greaves told Non League Yorkshire: “Obviously Marcus has never played for me, but I’ve played teams against him and he is a guy who scores 30 goals a year in Northern Counties East League Division One.
“He’s obviously a massive loss because you’re guaranteed goals.
“When I first got the job and I was introduced to the players who were already there I was hopeful of keeping him.
“Fair play though, he’s had an offer and really he should be playing at a higher level.
“I know he likes Eccleshill so you never know he might be back one day. The door is always open.”
Former Farsley reserves and Yorkshire Amateur boss Greaves was handed the job at the end of May after three years assisting Alan Colquhoun at Nostell and Liversedge.
With RIASA departing, Greaves has to start almost from scratch as only defender Jermaine Springer, who has been Eccleshill’s captain for the past few seasons, and goalkeeper Joe Stead are still with them.
Springer and Stead have signed NCEL forms and so have seven other players who have been brought to The Rapid Solictors by Greaves.
Apart from Mark Truman, the new faces – Ben Hardy, Luke Craven, Luke Harrop, Liam Bartle, Matty Dalton and Jarrod Peltier – featured in the 7-1 defeat at Brighouse Town on Friday.
Greaves added: “It is literally a clean canvas and we’ve had four weeks to get a team out against Brighouse.
“We have tried to bring some players and a lot who played on Friday were trialists.
“We couldn’t get a tougher start than going to play Brighouse’s first team.
“When it was first arranged it was to play their reserve and youth teams, but their Huddersfield Town game got moved.
“Everyone got 60 minutes and we’ll take the benefits.”
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