Mason set for 500th game as Steeton manager

Roy Mason admits a lot has changed since he was appointed Steeton manager in 2006 as he prepares for his landmark 500th competitive game in charge.

Mason is due to lead Steeton out for the 500th time when they head to Harrogate Railway on Tuesday night for the West Riding County Cup second round tie.

It is one of many milestones for Mason who has taken Steeton from Division One of the West Riding County Amateur League and into Non League Football. 

Steeton have gone from playing village teams to former Football League clubs.

One ever-changing adventure is one way to describe their route under Mason which began with a 5-1 win over Keighley Shamrocks.

Steeton have won promotions, moved ground to Marley, played at Elland Road in the West Riding Challenge Cup final and Mason, who told his Non League Journey last year, says his club has come a long way.

“From the behind the scenes, in a lot of the County Amateur games I was by myself,” Mason told Non League Yorkshire.

“I was doing the warm-ups, team-talks, writing the team-sheets, running the line because we didn’t have linesman.

“To be involved at a level where we have good back-room staff around us, three officials, is massive for us.

“You look at when we play teams like Bury.

“You’re running out in front of 500 people, we used to play in games in front of one man and his dog.

“It has been a fantastic journey and never in a million years when I took over as manager did I see Steeton ever becoming a semi-professional football club.”

Mason has had to evolve as a manager and coach as well throughout the years.

“You look back and think how naive you were,” he said.

“Pretty much (in 2006) it was putting eleven players out there and try and come up with a formation.

“It was pretty much 4-4-2 week-in week-out.

“We didn’t really change the tactics.

“Nowadays we change the tactics to suit the game.

“There’s a lot more things to do and probably the biggest change is that the turnover of players is higher than it used to be.

“The man-management as well. 

“You probably spend more time talking to them and managing them.

“You are constantly looking for players as well.

“But it is good and it is where you want to aspire to be. 

“You want to be want involved at better levels, you want to be going to better grounds and you want to pitting yourself against better managers and teams.”

Mason has no intention of stopping either.

“I’m incredibly proud to have done 500 games,” he said.

“When you take over as manager you never think about doing something like that and you never envisage it happening.

“It will be an incredibly proud moment for me, and my family as well who have been brilliant and supported me throughout the years.

“It shows just how much I think of Steeton as a football club.

“You have good times and bad times but over the course of the 500 games I’ve had more good times than bad times.

“You obviously can’t do it forever but I’ve always said I will while I’m still enjoying it and feel the club is progressing I’ll keep doing it.

“At some point there will be a time when I step down and someone else takes over.

“My whole aim when I took over as manager was when I departed the club or stood down as a manager was to leave the club in a far better position than it was when I took over.

“I think we have managed to do that.”