Evo Stik Premier Division
A seventh-place finish surprised quite a few, especially considering that it was their best finish in ten years. Karl Rose has lost some of his main men again, but he’s managed to add quality so it would be a major disappointment to see Frickley struggling at the bottom.
The Manager
Karl Rose
Frickley Athletic manager Karl Rose
The long-serving Frickley chief is heading into his fifth campaign at Westfield Lane. He has kept them in the Premier Division, against the odds in a couple of those seasons. His record in the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup is formidable as under him Frickley have won the competition three times. He is assisted by James Dudgeon, Lee Stratford and Jon Hood.
Opening Five Fixtures
Ashton United (H), Workington (A), Stafford Rangers (A), Stourbridge (H), Mickleover Sports (H).
Player Movement
Josh Grant left Farsley Celtic to join Frickley
In: Royale Johnson, Joel Purkiss (Matlock Town), Nathan Curtis (Harrogate Railway), Greg Pearson (Ashton United), John Lufudu (Sheffield FC), Josh Grant (Farsley Celtic), Tom Guest (FC Halifax Town), Henri Nimi, Nathan Valentine.
Out: Brad Grayson (Buxton), John Cyrus (Altrincham), Steven Jeff (Tadcaster Albion), Jacob Hazel (Gainsborough Trinity), Simon Lenighan, Tom Davie (Bradford Park Avenue).
One to Watch
Luke Hinsley (attacker)
Luke Hinsley signed a contract with Frickley Athletic this summer
Prediction
Top Half
Interviews
Karl Rose
Frickley Athletic manager Karl Rose
Karl Rose insists Frickley Athletic did not “overachieve” last season and says his side have to go into the new campaign with a positive state of mind.
Frickley were the surprise package after finishing seventh. Rose is aiming to build on that and he wants Frickley to firmly shed their perennial strugglers tag.
“We didn’t overachieve, we finished seventh on merit,” Rose told Non League Yorkshire.
“People will look and say ‘did Frickley overachieve’? No, it is in the record books and it is where we deserved to finish.
“It is now a clean slate. We have lost some players so we have had to recruit right. We have to make sure we have a good start and that last season wasn’t the eye of the storm and we’re not back struggling.
“You can talk about budgets and money, that goes for nothing. It is eleven versus eleven and it is about heart, desire and commitment. That’s what we showed last season and that’s what we have got to do this season.
“Our target has to be to beat our 77 points tally. If we fall short of that by say ten points then it will have been a very good season, but we can’t keep thinking ‘poor old Frickley finishing fifth bottom’.
“With the way the club has been over the last ten years, fifth bottom has sometimes been viewed as a success. The budget was the same last year, but we had a lot more continuity with the same players from the previous season.
“We also had team spirit, commitment, desire and we showed what can be achieved.”
Rose has lost some of his key men to National League North sides, including John Cyrus (Altrincham) and Jacob Hazel (Gainsborough Trinity). The pair are on a growing of players who have moved up the Divisions.
Reece Thompson’s leap to York City was the high profile deal last year.
Although departures of important players make his life difficult, Rose agrees that it does help him persuade people to join Frickley.
“Last season alone we had five players who have moved onto higher leagues and it is a great selling point for us,” he added.
“We also had Ross Armstrong, Louis Bruce and Sam Topliss (all North Ferriby) so it is a great place to learn your trade.
“That’s seven or eight players so what we have to do is replicate that so there are another seven or eight players who go to higher leagues next year.”
Sam Akeroyd
Midfielder Sam Akeroyd says Frickley have to go into the new season looking to match and better last season’s achievement.
WARNING, the audio interview contains one use of bad language