Toolstation NCEL Division One
Darren Barnes says 2022 has been such an incredible year for Horbury Town, choosing a favourite highlight is too difficult.
Horbury have been the top fairytale story having won promotion from the West Yorkshire League to become a Non League club for the first time.
They have then been stunning everyone by taking the NCEL Division One by storm.
Alongside their current third-placed standing, Horbury have also claimed two major scalps in the West Riding County Cup and Barnes admits the journey has been amazing.
“2022 has been the best year in the club’s history,” Barnes told Non League Yorkshire.
“We finished second in the West Yorkshire League, got to the League Cup final and won promotion to the club’s highest ever point.
“Then there’s we have been doing what we have done this season.
“There’s too many (highlights) to pinpoint down.
“You could look at this season at the Guiseley game (in the West Riding Cup) or the (win at) Wakefield or the Rossington game at the beginning of the season when they were favourites for the league and we won 3-0.
“You can look back at last season when we clinched promotion and how we felt at knowing we were going up.
“Getting the boxed ticked by the FA and finding out we were going up, that was a massive moment.
“On-and-off-the-field, the past nine months has been unbelievable.”
A further success story has been the transformation of their Slazenger Sports Club home which is getting a constant upgrade.
“We’re spending a lot on the ground,” he said.
“There’s 100-person stand going in and there’s a lot of paving going on along with adjustments to the changing rooms.
“The 100-person stand and 50-person stand will be close to the pitch (by the start of next season).
“By the end of the season all four corners of the pitch will be paved so you will be able to walk the whole way round.
“We have a cabin going in on Friday which is going next to the cafe and is going to be used as somewhere where you can inside.”
Barnes’ side have been a revelation with their sizzling performances which have yielded 61 league goals in 21 matches.
Horbury are a strong bet for finishing in the top five but Barnes remains level-headed.
“We’ve got to the halfway point of the season and we’re still up there,” he said.
“I know clubs were saying at the start of the season that we would tail up but we’re still there.
“But if we finish top half now, I’d still take it.
“Our goal was 35 points and I said that from the first game and up until we got to 35 points.
“We are sat on 41 points with 17 games to go.
“I can’t see us ending up on 41 points so I feel we can double the expectation in terms of points.
“If we do, you’re in and around the play-offs.
“There’s starting to be a gap between top half and bottom half.
“Yes Campion lost their last (league) game but no-one is catching them and they still have a couple of games-in-hand.
“Harrogate and Rossington are strong and I think they’ll make the top play-offs spots.
“Then in my view it is out of us, Wakefield, Brigg, Staveley, Retford and Armthorpe fighting for the final two play-offs spots.
“If we don’t finish in the play-offs I don’t mind.
“The players will be disappointed but overall we can be extremely happy with what we have done.”
Regardless of the weather, Horbury are not in action this weekend.
Their next encounter is the local derby at home to Glasshoughton Welfare on December 28th.
The hiatus has been good timing, according to Barnes.
“We had no game last week as Rossington was called off pretty much like every game and then we have no game this week,” he said.
“We have a busy week after Christmas as we play on the 28th at home to Glasshoughton, the 31st at Shirebrook and at Retford on the 2nd.
“That’s three games in a week so that’s a busy time for us.
“(The break) has come at the right time for us.
“We were struggling with injuries and we went to Thackley (last time out) with a good squad but it wasn’t the usual squad.”