Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Garforth Town manager Rob Hunter
Garforth Town manager Rob Hunter is by no means finished in the transfer market as the start of the new season looms.
Compared with 12 months ago when Hunter had to rebuild the Miners’ team from scratch, he has been relatively quiet.
Selby Town striker Calum Ward has been the only headline capture, on top of the signings of Dan Coupland (ex-Harrogate Railway), Regan Fish (Sherburn White Rose), Ollie Maude (Glasshoughton Welfare), Kris Robertshaw (Carlton Athletic), Brett Smith (Sherburn White Rose) and Jack Lazenby.
“There’s a couple of players who I still have my eye on,” Hunter told Non League Yorkshire.
“There’s one player who I have had a text message conversation with this week and I’m waiting for him to give me a call to discuss things.
“He would be a really good signing for the club. So yeah I’m hopeful of getting at least one more or two more players in.
“The key to this summer was keeping the players we had last season.
“We lost Mark Simpson, but he’s the only player we have lost. We have added a couple of fantastic players for me. One is Calum Ward. I tried to sign him last year and I think he’ll do very well for us this season.
“The other is Dan Coupland who can play right-back, centre-half or holding midfielder. He’s been our best player in pre-season.
“We’ve had a lot of new players who have come in and done really well like Regan Fish, Ollie Maude and Kris Robertshaw.
“Plus there’s 17-year-old Jack Lazenby who has a big future in football. Brett Smith has also done well.
“We used 19 or 20 players at Whitkirk and that’s been the story of our pre-season so far.
“We have had about 30 players come down to the club. Everyone has had an opportunity. We have had to release ten or 12 players in the last ten days which is always difficult.
“I know at least one of those will come back and haunt me. I have no doubt about that, but you can only go on the first three or four weeks of pre-season.
“Now we have Tadcaster and Glasshoughton to play and we need to get to the point of being ready to play Sunderland in the FA Cup.”
Garforth’s latest pre-season fixture saw them win 2-1 at Les Nelson and Non League legend Lutel James’s Whitkirk Wanderers – a side Rob Hunter is tipping to enjoy success this year.
“It was a good workout and I thought Whitkirk were fantastic, they did really well,” he said.
“I think Whitkirk will do very well in the West Yorkshire League this year. Les has put a great team together for West Yorkshire League football.
“They played really well against us. I was impressed with how well organised they are. They’ll really physical and I’ll be very surprised if Les and Lutel don’t get them promoted this year.”