New NCEL season preview – Worsbrough

Toolstation NCEL Division One 

Worsbrough are lucky to be still alive and kicking. Bridge were on the brink of death in February until a group of people stepped in at the eleventh hour to give the 93-year-old club the kiss of life. Despite finishing in a relegation spot, crisis club Hull United’s demotion gave Worsbrough a reprieve and here they are now.

The Manager

Ian Shirt

Shirt came back to save Worsbrough in February and ensured they fulfilled all their remaining fixtures. He was made their permanent manager in May. He previously served the club in a coaching capacity during the days of Mick Norbury and Chris Hilton.

Opening Five Fixtures

Yorkshire Amateur (A), Ollerton Town (A) – LC, Knaresborough Town (A), Nostell Miners Welfare (H), Shirebrook Town (A).

Player Movement

In: Joe Singleton (Stocksbridge Park Steels), Alex Jones, Brad Mellor, Jake Drafz, Matty Pinder, Liam Halford, Mitchell Wilshere, Connor Rollinson (Glasshoughton Welfare), Calan Rollinson, Ricky Popplewell (Glasshoughton Welfare), Ryan Hallsworth, Josh Herring, Mark Stuart, Thomas Cropper.

Out: Luke Forgione

One to watch

Brad Kerr

Kerr is still a young player and has had a difficult 12 months on the football scene. He was in-and-out at Retford United and then briefly joined Pontefract Collieries. He returned to Worsbrough to help save the club in March and has looked good in pre-season. The striker needs a solid season with plenty of goals under his belt and staying at Park Road for a full year would be advisable because he’ll a lot playing every week.

Prediction

Mid-table/Bottom half

Interview

There’s no bold or rash claims from Worsbrough Bridge manager Ian Shirt. He just wants to guide his resuscitated club into a safe and secure league position this season.

Shirt, one of the many saviours at Park Road, was made the permanent boss of Bridge in May.

“I’m confident we will do alright,” Shirt told Non League Yorkshire.

“I’m not saying we’ll be in the play-offs, nothing daft like that because we’re not stupid, but we’re in a better position than we were last year.

“The chairman (Pete Schofield) has said if we finish above the bottom two then he’ll be pleased. Anything above that is a bonus. He doesn’t want the club to go through like a season like last year again.

“Realistically that’s ok, but we’ll looking a little higher than that. With the players we have got we should do ok.”

Alongside a committed team, Bridge also have a growing army of volunteers behind the scenes.

A new physio is now in place and every match day job is filled. Shirt believes it is slowly coming together for the club.

“It has been an unbelievable transformation since February,” he said.

“There are lots of volunteers and there’s also people putting hard work in for funding.

“There is still a lot of work to do, but there are a lot of things in the pipeline for the pitch, the ground.

“We’re also getting the crowds back and if we can put a bit of a show on and show we’re no mugs and we can compete then people will start coming back.”