NPL Division One East
Stocksbridge Park Steels manager Ian Richards has out-lined his club’s recruitment policy.
Stocksbridge have mainly recruited from Step 5 this summer, with four players arriving from Staveley Miners Welfare.
In a league where wealthy clubs are very common, Richards says the Steels have targeted a certain profile of player.
“Clubs are investing a lot of money into their budgets in our level, the level above and also the level below,” Richards told Non League Yorkshire.
“We are a sustainable club and our budget will be bottom four in the league but we have looked at a clear model in the way we recruit.
“We wish Luke Mangham, Nat Crofts all the best in going to play higher.
“One-or-two mutually agreed to leave but three-or-four were part of our plans but they got better offers elsewhere. You wish them well, there’s no problem.
“I have been in this game a long time and I’m in my 14th season as a manager.
“What we have is a clear model and method with how we want to recruit and we have tried to recruit players who are in their mid-20s and have done well at Step 5 and are hungry to step up to Step 4.
“We have also taken younger lads who have had experience of academy football or a little higher and given them a platform to play regularly and put themselves in the shop window.
“We’re quite happy with that because if we get two seasons out of them and they leave us to go higher then it has worked well for everyone.”
A number of players have left Bracken Moor this summer – including Reece Fielding, Josh Nodder, Luke Mangham, Nat Crofts and Nick Guest.
Richards has responded with the signatures of Luke Rawson, Harrison Davison-Hale, Mitch Langton, Clake Greaves, Charlie Oglesby, Tomas Poole, Cody Prior, Gareth Curtis and Bailey Tye Baker.
“We have kept important players in Ross Goodwin, Kurtis Curtis, Jack Tinker, Alex O’Connor, Jordan Lemon so we’ve kept a core group and added around that,” Richards said.
“I wouldn’t like to say it has been a full rebuild but it has been a partial rebuild or changing room development.
“I’m hoping it isn’t a full rebuild but time will tell.
“We have reduced the average age as our oldest player is 30 so we have players who are between 20 and 30 and we are going to make sure we are a fit, energetic and organised side and take it from there.
“The environment and the attitude from the players is first class. They are already becoming close knit.
“I’m optimistic and positive and the club are. The chairman is and everyone behind the scenes are.
“It is a club which is aligned and in sync and we just have to realise where we are in financial terms and look at different methods to be successful.
“The money that is being invested in football clubs at Step 5, 4 and 3 is huge.”
Richards also confirmed that he isn’t finished on the recruitment front.
“We’re hopefully going to sign two more over the weekend,” he said.
“One of them will give us some experience and the other one is a younger lad who has had experience of this level but he needs more game-time which can hopefully give him.”