Toolstation NCEL Division One
Luke Forgione is pleased to see people turning out in force to watch Worsbrough Bridge in action at Park Road this season.
Over 250 watched the demolition of FC Humber United on August 3rd – the largest attendance at Park Road since they famously beat Shaw Lane Aquaforce in late 2013.
One hundred and seventy-nine watched Tuesday night’s 3-0 defeat of Parkgate.
The previous week’s victory over Harrogate Railway saw only 93 turn out but Barnsley were playing down the road at Oakwell in the Championship against Luton Town in front of 12,000 people that evening.
But it is clear there is high local interest in Worsborough and Forgione is grateful.
“There were 180-odd on Tuesday night and we had 250 against Humber United,” Forgione told Non League Yorkshire.
“It is bubbling along nicely and there’s a feel-good factor around the club with the fans coming down.
“I think it helps the players out and I think they like playing under the lights.
“It is nice to have crowds there, it adds that extra bit of adrenaline for the players.
“It is helpful for us and we appreciate the support and hopefully it can continue.”
Because of the home form, the longer-term followers of Worsbrough will be having flashbacks to one of the greatest achievements in the club’s history.
Forgione was one of Chris Hilton’s invincibles who helped Worsbrough go the 2012/13 Division One season unbeaten at home in the league.
Forgione does not expect history to strike twice but he believes the positive home results will change the mindset of other clubs who previously saw visiting Worsbrough as an easy three points.
“The thing I said when I took the role was that we needed to make it a difficult place for people to come to,” he said.
“It is at the moment but we’re only three games into the season.
“We’re three from three but that could easily turn.
“It bodes well and we talked about it being important.
“If people are talking about Worsbrough being a difficult place to come to, it plants that seed of doubt in opposition team’s minds where they know they’re in for a tough game.
“In the past and even last year with me, there were teams coming and saying ‘that’s three points today’.
“We just want to make it difficult for teams and make them realise it will be a difficult game for them.
“There will be teams who will come down here and beat us.
“The year with Hilts when we were unbeaten it was unprecedented – it doesn’t happen.
“If I’m open and honest I don’t see it happening (again) this year.”
One myth about this season’s Worsbrough squad is that it is full of young players who are untried at NCEL level.
That is true with a few but there is more experience than people realise.
“People think there’s not a lot of experience in the changing room,” he said.
“But I turn round and say we have Ross Pritchard who is 19-years-old.
“He played for Athersley Rec in the NCEL Premier Division for a full season so he’s had over 30 games in the Premier.
“Then you have Glav who has played a number of games at this level.
“You have lads like Alfred Thompson who has been at Rossington.
“Tigger (Callum Walton), Alfie Dodsworth have been at Handsworth, so has Franny (Luke Francis).
“They’ve all been at clubs in the NCEL Prem or Division One, some just haven’t played consistently.
“They have been good enough to be in that team on the fringes of it, they just haven’t had the consistency or the trust or the patience of the manager because they wanted to go with experience or better quality at the time.
“We can provide opportunities for players and that’s the model.”
So far his men have picked up wins against Hall Road Rangers, FC Humber United, Harrogate Railway and Parkgate as well as a draw at Swallownest.
Bridge have also lost at Retford.
It is an okay start and Forgione puts it down to a collective effort.
“Stand-out performers; there’s been some great individual performances so far,” he said.
“But I think every single one has been brilliant in their own aspect.
“That’s the strength of the team – the togetherness.
“If you look at my teams – I’ve not picked the same team every week and we’ve not had the same squad out every week.
“We have also scored 11 goals at home and three away and the goal-scorers have been spread across the team.
“You look at the top goal-scorers in the chart, we haven’t got one.
“That’s another strength that we have players who can score from different positions.”
A trip to Dronfield Town awaits Worsbrough tomorrow – a few days on from the Parkgate triumph.
Reviewing the Parkgate game, Forgione added: “I thought we started really well and in the first 25 minutes we were on the front-foot.
“Once we scored they came into the game more.
“More to do with them doing the basics better than us.
“They were picking up the first and second balls and building up a bit of pressure.
“They were getting into a final third – not really hurting us but asking questions.
“I think half-time came at a good time and I think both teams wanted to go in and address a few things.
“Going into the second half, Parkgate going down the hill were asking a few questions and building a bit of momentum and pressure.
“We scored at the right time to make it 2-0.
“We managed the game really well and the red card happened.
“Killa (Brad Kilburn) made a tackle and that killed the game.
“After that we made it 3-0 and it was game over.
“The most pleasing thing for us is that it was a clean sheet.
“We have only had two so far in the games we have played.”
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.
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