Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division
Adam Lockwood is “immensely proud” of the work ambitious Wakefield AFC are delivering in the community.
The Wakefield-born former Doncaster Rovers and Yeovil defender ended his three-year sabbatical from football to take charge of his hometown club last year.
Lockwood managed Guiseley for a year, miraculously keeping them in the National League Premier in 2017 thanks to a fairytale last minute goal on the final day – which saved the Lions and relegated York City.
He left in August 2017 and stayed out of the game until the lure of the exciting Wakefield project proved too much.
“I said I’d get back into it for the right opportunity and the right fit,” Lockwood told Non League Yorkshire.
“I had discussions to come to Wakefield (last year) and I believe the club can be something good for Wakefield and the community.
“It was the right fit at the right time.
“I wanted to be part of it and play a part in achieving (the club’s goals).
“Everything we’re trying to do in the community impresses me.
“You see a lot of people getting a lot of joy on the faces and I look back to my childhood and the academy football and we have some great coaches and staff at the club that are doing great things that are making a difference to people on a daily basis.
“That’s what is important to me.
“There’s no sort of limit to it (to where the club could go), without getting carried away.
“But it all depends on the day-to-day steps we take as a club.
“There is a lot of stuff that goes unseen and of which I’m immensely proud of being involved with.
“We’re starting to do more on match-days for local clubs and we’re trying to make a difference in local grassroots football and help local clubs.
“Basically put smiles on people’s faces and making a difference to people’s lives on a day-to-day basis.
“The main thing is we become a community club and help people in the community and other establishments.”
Wakefield kick off the campaign with a home clash with High Green Villa at Featherstone Rovers’ ground tomorrow afternoon.
The squad contains the odd familiar name to followers of the NPL and NCEL – such as ex-Athersley Rec wide man Red Bates, to ex-Harrogate Town right-sided player Brad Swain, former Athersley Rec centre-half James Morris, to the ex-Scarborough Athletic defender Danny Stimpson.
Glasshoughton Welfare’s Danny Youel is a new signing this week.
Many of the players are under 23 but Lockwood says his players don’t have to be a certain age.
“A big thing is we want young players who have had a rough ride in football,” he said.
“I get nothing but pleasure out of helping people get their love of football back and get them back playing competitive football.
“We want to be a young fresh squad as much as we can but we haven’t put a cap on (age).
“It is a good league and it is getting stronger all the time and it is good for guys to get out there and get their love back.
“There’s a lot of younger lads who have dreamt of being footballers and for all-sorts of reasons that sometimes get de-railed.
“The main thing is to give players the platform for them to enjoy playing football.”
Wakefield will be seen by many as one of the favourites for the title.
Wakefield applied for promotion last year and were knocked but they are an oncoming force who need to finish in the top five to put themselves in a position to apply for the NCEL for next season.
Lockwood though is tight-lipped on their targets for the campaign.
“I always like to keep (the target) internally,” he said.
“Mainly it is taking the challenges as they come.
“Each game brings its own challenges and each game will be very tough.
“It is no secret that we want to progress a club but it is not always easy.
“We’ll be doing our upmost to make that happen but we try to look on it game by game.
“The main thing for us as a club is we make the right steps and do the right things on a regular basis.
“Hopefully that takes us to where we want to be and we’ll decide at the end of the season if it is a disappointment or a success.”
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.