Season Preview
Toolstation NCEL Division One
Swallownest
Where will Swallownest go? New manager Alex Nightingale hopes beyond where they have been before. The young manager has exciting ambitions for ‘Nest and this season is the opening chapter.
Manager
Alex Nightingale
The former Worksop Town attacker is one of the youngest managers in the league after taking over from Jordan Stocks. Nightingale was in interim charge for the win over Rossington Main last year and he was appointed as the permanent ‘Nest boss early this year.
Opening Five Fixtures
Harrogate Railway (a), Shirebrook Town (a), Parkgate (h), Dronfield Town (a), Worsbrough Bridge (h).
Notable Movement
In: Liam Flint, Luis Alfonso-Ferreira, Juninho Blake, James Woodhouse.
One to Watch
Alex Lill
Lill is always a nightmare for defenders and is a key part of Swallownest’s team.
Interview
Alex Nightingale wants Swallownest to raise the bar and go beyond their previous limits.
Nightingale takes charge of his first competitive game since his appointment on a permanent basis at Harrogate Railway tomorrow and he will hope it is a strong start to a positive season.
“In the last three seasons they have finished ninth and tenth, eleventh so we’ll be looking to push beyond those finishes,” Nightingale told Non League Yorkshire.
“I think we’d have done extremely well if we do.
“Our budget is minute to other clubs in the league so if we got in the top six then I’d be ecstatic.
“But we want to finish anywhere above where we have finished in the past three seasons.
“I sat down with all the players and asked the same question you’ve just asked me and every player said ‘top six’.
“That’s a big expectation, but that’s what we are aiming for.
“The lads have all bought into it and we have a really good squad.”
Although hopes are high, in reality there’s no pressure on Nightingale’s shoulders in his first year n management to reach the play-offs.
“This year is really test for me to see where we can go, what can we do,” he said.
“We haven’t got the biggest budget in the league so it is about what changes we can make.
“What’s to say we can’t do well.
“We’re a bit of an unknown and we are to everyone else (in the league).
“There’s no expectations on us to finish top six compared to a club where it is expected to be in the top three.
“There’s no pressure and we can go out this year and take risks and chances.
“The club have said everything is positive and they’re happy with everything we have put in place.
“The Premier Division is where they want to be in two or three years and this year is a good year to be a platform.”
Nightingale also agrees that the type of football mostly on show in Division One has dramatically altered in recent years due to the calibre of the younger players coming through.
“I think the whole game is changing and the league has completely changed at this level,” he said.
“Five years ago, maybe further back, you would come up against absolute units who would never pass it.
“They’d spin it and turn it.
“I was a player who was quite technical so I always find if difficult against teams like that.
“Now it is different and you’re playing against players who are better on the ball.
“They are fitter, more energetic and more disciplined in terms of tactically.”
Prediction
Mid-Table
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.
