NPL Division One East
The ambition of taking Ossett United into the NPL Premier Division lies at the heart of Grant Black’s mission statement for the new era at Ingfield.
Black is back along with loyal associates Mick Norbury, David Brown and Ryan Pugh and the quartet want to replicate what they achieved with Belper Town.
“It is not going to be done from day one but we have assurances from the club that they want to try and push to get in the league above,” Black told Non League Yorkshire.
“That’s what we did at Belper.
“We were a couple of seconds away from doing it (in 2017) when we were at Ossett Town but I don’t think the club would have been in a position to have done anything if we had gone up so it probably was a blessing we didn’t.
“I don’t think Ossett Town were ready for it but I think Ossett United are on-and-off-the-pitch.
“We will be looking to get the team up the table this season and get a good atmosphere and buzz around the place.
“We’ll see where that takes us this season.
“If we can stay amongst the pack then who knows?
“We have to build a team and club that will be ready to be compete to get up to the Premier.
“Once you get there you reestablish and see what that brings further down the line – new sponsors, more income and you can re-evaluate and see where you are moving forward as to whether the club can push again.
“We want to establish ourselves as a top six team now and get in and amongst it and try and get promoted over the next 18 months.”
Black replaced Jas Colliver last week, several weeks after ending his long and successful tenure at Belper Town.
Understandably as one of the top young managers in the region, Black was hot property and he out-lined the reasons for choosing to return to Ossett.
“It was a bit hectic at the backend of last week,” he said.
“We left Belper a few weeks ago and since then we have inundated with some good offers but we wanted to take our time and make sure that the next (job) was the right one for us.
“There were clubs higher up than Ossett who were approaching us.
“There were clubs in the same league as Ossett offering (a bigger) financial package.
“Ossett got in touch on the Wednesday and we met them after meeting another team.
“Once as we had the chat with Ossett we knew we wanted to come back and give it another go.
“The club has changed quite a lot and it is a merged club now.
“A lot of people are still the same so we got a good feeling.
“The potential it has got is massive.
“Two clubs merging together, you have a double fan-base and everything set-up for us doing things on-the-pitch.
“I think it is something that could be massive if we can get it right on there.
“Meeting some of the old faces and listening to the ideas they have got and how it has changed was a massive positive.
“I think geographically it is an area we can recruit players we have worked with before and a lot of players who have wanted to work with us over the last four years (at Belper) but have not been willing to do the travelling.
“Now they’re contacting wanting to get on board.
“That was a massive part too.”
The reaction on social media to Black’s return to Ingfield almost broke the internet.
It also had shades of the Geordie Messiah Kevin Keegan’s return to Newcastle United 1992 as Ossett fans flocked to Ingfield to see their ‘Messiah’ in person.
“We met the players on the Thursday and (the club) invited the fans down,” he said.
“We expected three-or-four people coming down for a beer with us but (the bar) was rammed.
“It was unbelievable and it was like a night out.
“When we saw the reaction it was humbling – that’s probably the word I would use.
“Norbs (Mick Norbury) has been around a while. Browny (David Brown) has great experience as a professional and we all looked at each other and it was a lightbulb moment that we had definitely made the right decision.
“We got the buzz from it and the feedback we have had and the well-wishes has been great.
“We took that into Saturday and we had a really good reaction from the players and a good away performance along with a really good bus journey back with the fans which picked up where we left off (in 2017).”
Black’s first home game since returning is tomorrow when Ossett host Consett.
Over time Black hopes to get Ingfield packed out.
“Away at Long Eaton there may have been as many 70 or 80 fans who made the trip which for a Non League club is massive,” he said.
“I think there was 90 Fleetwood fans who went somewhere last week so if we’re taking 80-odd it is already on a rise.
“The atmosphere after the game was fantastic.
“We’re hoping we can get those crowds back up to the 500 mark.”
Midfielder Jan Lipka, one of Black’s Belper heroes, signed for Ossett on Thursday.
Although he won’t be the last signing, Black says it won’t be a complete overhaul.
“When anyone goes into a new club there’s going to be casualties,” he said.
“There’ll be players who aren’t our kind of players and there’s players who we want to bring in because we have worked with them before and we know we can trust them.
“Last Thursday we told the players they’ll get first crack and on Saturday and they went out and performed well in abundance.
“That was pleasing.
“It is not a full refit.
“We just have to strengthen in areas so the 16 are all good enough to start.
“That’s the main aim.
“We strengthened with Danny South and Nathan Curtis last week and we have another two coming in.
“Both have been promoted from this level and they know the league so they will bring experience to what is a young squad.”