Season Preview
Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Maltby Main
Maltby Main’s squad has constantly grown stronger and stronger in the last few years and once again Louis Axcell has assembled a line-up capable of matching and beating the best.
Manager
Louis Axcell
The former Handsworth reserves manager took caretaker charge in late 2019 before taking it on permanently at the start of the first lockdown. Axcell has impressed many with his recruitment and results since his appointment.
Opening Five Fixtures
Garforth Town (a), Barton Town – FA Cup (a), Staveley Miners Welfare (h), Eccleshill United (a), Athersley Rec (h).
Notable Movement
In: Ben Algar (AFC Mansfield), Liam Marsden (AFC Mansfield), Hugo Warhurst (AFC Mansfield), Brandon Whitfield (Stocksbridge PS Development).
Out: Mitch Dunne (Handsworth), Jim Pollard.
One to Watch
Jamie Austin
The forward is really developing into a top NCEL Premier Division talent and he’s one to keep an eye on.
Interview
Louis Axcell expects Maltby Main to put up a good fight at the top end of the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division table.
Axcell has assembled a squad full of quality and he believes they are capable of pushing for glory.
“I think with where we were placed last year and with the teams who have gone out of the Division, I think we would be daft not to set expectations quite high,” Axcell told Non League Yorkshire.
“I think there’s still a lot of good teams in the league.
“I think it is going to be a lot more competitive and every game is winnable and every game is lose-able.
“But I would anticipate and hope we will be up there challenging in the top three or four.
“That’s where I expect to be and that’s where the lads in the dressing room expect to be.
“The vast majority of the squad has stayed from last season.
“I’ve lost the ‘keeper, but gained an equally as good ‘keeper in Hugo (Warhurst).
“Hugo’s very good.
“Obviously we lost Mitch (Dunne), but we have brought quality in with Ben Algar so I think it is like for like.
“We’re not in a bad place at all.”
The Premier Division is wide open and Axcell agrees that no team stands out as the one to beat.
“I don’t think there is (a favourite),” he said.
“I don’t think it is like the last couple of years when there’s been a couple of clear ones in Ammers (Yorkshire Amateur) and Liversedge.
“I think this year you could probably seven, eight or nine teams, but they’re always other teams who you don’t expect to do well.
“I think it will be massively open and I think nobody will run away with it.
“I think it will be close and consistency is the key.”
Prediction
Promotion Contenders
If you have enjoyed reading Non League Yorkshire over the past few months, please consider making a donation to the not-for-profit organisation NLY Community Sport which provides sport for children and adults with disabilities and learning difficulties. CLICK HERE to visit the JustGiving page. There is a video at the bottom of the page showing our work.
NLY Community Sport, run by James Grayson and Connor Rollinson, has always had combatting social isolation at the top of our objectives when running our Disability Football teams.
Our work is playing an important role in reintroducing our players, who have disabilities and learning difficulties, back into society.
We have six teams, a mixture of Junior and Adult teams – Nostell MW DFC, Pontefract Pirates, Selby Disability Football Club and the South Yorkshire Superheroes (Barnsley) – across Yorkshire.
We have enjoyed great success over the past three years. Several of our players have represented Mencap GB in Geneva, including Billy Hobson from Selby and Greg Smith, whose story is quite inspiring.
You can learn more about the organisation HERE and on our Facebook page.
Watch the video below to see highlights from our three years as an organisation. The video was produced for our players at the end of March to remind them of good memories from the last three years.
