EV2 Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division
New North Gawber manager Ian Shillito remains on the hunt to strengthen his squad before their Premier Division campaign kicks off.
Reigning champions Gawber start their season next Tuesday with the home clash against their old friends Jubilee Sports and Shillito admits the search for new recruits is active.
“I have been watching the NCEL for a few years and my son (Mccauley) played in it for a while so he has contacts as well,” Shillito told Non League Yorkshire.
“It is really hard trying to get that standard of player but we’re looking at fringe players from higher league teams.
“We’re looking at players who are on the bench at clubs and not getting a game and we have three probables.
“If they’re not getting a regular game they may want to come and play or dual-sign.”
Shillito’s son Mccauley, the ex-Athersley Rec and Worksop Town star is one of two new signings this summer.
Ex-Wombwell Main player Ben Davies is the other.
Pre-season has been tricky with availability but there has been sunshine because of how well the club’s youngsters have been performing.
“It has been frustrating with players going on holiday and being unable to train because of that,” Shillito said.
“There’s been work commitments and injuries as well.
“We’ve had a few injuries in our friendlies.
“So it has been frustrating and I’m still trying really hard to get one-or-two new players in, if not before the season but during the season.
“The squad is a bit light.
“We’ve got an under 17s and we’ve brought four or five in to be involved. One is looking really good.
“They’ve been brilliant in the friendlies and I’ve had to play them because of injuries, work commitments and holidays.
“I’ve been really impressed.
“So we’re trying to promote them whilst keeping the experience players as well.
“I’m really passionate about a reserve team so we can feed them through and promote from within.
“It is hugely beneficial for the club.
“There’ll be a continual feed to the first team.”
One or two players from the Dave Simms glory years have moved on but it is not a season of transition.
The bulk of the key men from the unprecedented treble-winning 2018/19 season remain such as star striker Carey Welford, Scott Chipcase, Liam Marsden and several others.
“They’ll still the reigning champions and we are looking at building but there is nothing broken,” Shillito said.
“We’re just looking to fine tune in certain areas.
“The target is to be consistent with the results we achieve.
“Dave is stopping on board as my assistant and his experience of this league is invaluable.
“Swinton are the team to beat with how it looks along with Dodworth.
“We have some good local derbies with Penistone, Wombwell so it is about competing well with them and bringing the young guys through.
“We have nurture them and bring them through steadily.
“But we definitely want to be up there challenging in everything we do.
“This club has a big heart, it always has and that’s something I’m looking to keep.
“It goes a long way does that.”
Shillito succeeded Simms in July – ending a three-year sabbatical from football to take on a challenge he is thrilled to take on.
He had previously managed the Rose and Crown and enjoyed huge success with many of the Gawber players.
He had previously had chances to join Gawber during the Nicholas Bedford era.
“When Beddy was the manager he asked me numerous times to come on board because we had a lot of history,” he said.
“I went to school with Beddy and I went to school with Dave.
“But my son has been playing with the Rec, Worksop or Stocksbridge so I’ve followed him.
“They asked him to sign (this summer) and they managed to nail so when he signed, I’d always wanted to get back into it so it was a no-brainer (to succeed Simms).
“This is the highest thing I’ve done (in football) and I’m looking forward to it.
“I’m excited about it and I can’t wait for the season to start.”
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.
