Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Rob Hunter has successfully stabilised Garforth Town and has created a “loyal and passionate” side
Rob Hunter reckons Garforth Town sail into 2017 on much calmer seas after 12 turbulent months, win, lose or draw on Boxing Day.
The Miners narrowly avoided relegation at the end of last season and it has taken until the latter parts of the year for results to stabilise at the J.S Community Stadium.
Hunter, whose completely rebuilt Garforth team has been labelled as “loyal and passionate”, is delighted with the progression he has seen recently and is optimistic for the future.
“We started from scratch in the summer as there are only Luke McCrum and Mark Simpson left from last season’s team,” Hunter told Non League Yorkshire.
“We have had to build a new team, build a changing room, build discipline and I don’t think we are far away.
“The changing room is really good. We have some really good characters and a good backbone that I believe will be at this club for two or three years.
“Although we are 14th in the league, I would have taken that at the start. When you look at the squad we have now, the likes of Luke McCrum, Ryan Donoghue, (club captain) James Beaston, Jake Rose, Jack McMurrough, Mitch Hamilton and Mark Simpson, plus others – we have good people who all want to be at Garforth Town.
“That is a real achievement for us and we go into 2017 heading in the right direction.”
Club captain James Beaston is immensely popular at Garforth Town
Garforth Town defender Luke McCrum is one of two players who were at the club last season
Jack McMurrough is enjoying his second spell at Garforth Town
Leading goal-scorer Mark Simpson has remained loyal to Garforth in the past 12 months and is very popular with the club’s supporters
Adrian Costello initially picked up the unenviable task of rebuilding Garforth at the end of last year. Costello and Hunter, then the club’s assistant manager, eventually guided Garforth to safety last season after a brief scare.
When Costello resigned in May to take up a role with the FA, Hunter was elevated to the top job.
Hunter faced a rocky start in the manager’s position as he received criticism from a small section of supporters because of some of the early results.
But October and November were the turning points for results as Garforth went on an unbeaten run. Hunter also believes those months have seen the beginnings of a culture that is needed at the club.
“The early part of the year was very worrying as we nearly went down,” he said.
“The last year has been an awful time for the club, I think if we hadn’t beaten Pontefract with two games to go, we would have probably got relegated.
“But we survived and we rebuilt over the summer. The lads we have will fight for every single point. They come down to training every week. We have 20 lads there every session which is fantastic.
“There is discipline and it is about things like the captain making sure all the kit goes in the bags after a game. That we respect the supporters and the directors. Its about making sure we go in the bar after a game and talking to people.
“These things weren’t happening 12 weeks ago. It is not just about creating a football team, it is about creating a club and an atmosphere. We are getting there slowly and I believe we will go from strength to strength.”
Garforth host Parkgate on Boxing Day, a game which sees their former manager Graham Nicholas make his first return to the J.S White Community Stadium since leaving in October 2015.