Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Harrogate Railway player/manager Paul Beesley used to spend his Saturdays watching Manchester City. Picture: Caught Light Photography
For someone who did not start playing semi-professional until five years ago, Harrogate Railway player/manager Paul Beesley has done very well to get where he is today.
Beesley, then 27, was a complete unknown when he burst onto the Non League scene in 2011 with a spree of goals for Railway, who were then managed by Nigel Danby.
That’s because he was previously too busy to play Saturday football as he had been a Manchester City season ticket holder for years.
A prolific Sunday League footballer, Beesley constantly turned down advances from clubs until joining Railway. The jump to Saturday football paid off and he has since enjoyed fruitful spells with Harrogate Town, Gainsborough Trinity, Scarborough Athletic and Bradford (Park Avenue).
“I still am a City season ticket holder, but I can’t go very often,” 32-year-old Beesley told Non League Yorkshire.
“I only get to four or five games a season now, but City give me a great deal.
“Obviously I spent a lot of years watching them instead of playing. Do I regret that? Possibly because City weren’t great back then. They’ve obviously started doing well since I stopped going every week.
“Once as I started playing, I’ve really enjoyed it. I played at school and for Burnley until I was 16. But when it didn’t work out for me, I then stopped playing for a few years.
“I got back into it and there were a few clubs who came in for me when I was younger and playing local Sunday League, but I always said that I wanted to go and watch City on a Saturday.
“I once scored 73 goals in local Harrogate Sunday League and that brought attention to me from semi-professional clubs, but I kept knocking them back.
“Looking back would I change it? I don’t know. I’ve enjoyed my journey, but I know if I had carried on watching City then I would never have got the opportunity I have got at Railway.
“I do feel I’ve had a good Non League career. I’ve worked my way up the leagues and I’ve played in the FA Cup second round.”
Beesley has slowly settled into his first managerial appointment – a role that he took on over a month ago.
It was a tricky start as he did not oversee a victory until his sixth game. Now he feels with the addition of Liam Ormsby as assistant manager that it is coming together.
“I didn’t want to bring new players in for numbers, I wanted to bring quality in,” he said.
“I’ve had to wait for that. Liam my number two has been a massive help and he’s been a breath of fresh air. He’s probably the best signing I have made since I came here.
“His contacts are good and he’s brought in a few of the new lads. Overall it is getting there.”
Experienced Evo Stik players Ben Thornton and Chris Fisher are two of the players that Ormsby has helped bring to Station View.
Beesley wants to add more and he confirmed that does plan on carrying on leading Railway’s attack – that’s despite scoring five times.
“You always have to look to freshen up, whether you’re top or the bottom of the league,” he said.
“I don’t know how much I’m going to be playing. I suppose while I’m scoring I’ll keep myself up there.
“Long term I’m not so sure. I don’t want to hang my boots up, but I did have a picture in my head to be on bench and to come on and influence the game if I was needed.
“It hasn’t worked out like that. When you’re on the pitch you don’t see the big picture. When you’re in the technical area you can see all the areas.
“When you’re on the pitch you’re thinking about your own performance.”