Season Preview
Toolstation NCEL Division One
Glasshoughton Welfare
Nathan Perks is gone, but Nathan Keightley is back and ready to score goals.
There can be no doom and gloom around Glasshoughton Welfare.
For the first time in a few years Glasshoughton – who celebrate the tenth anniversary of the promotion to the Premier Division under the great Craig Elliott next April – go into a season with a fairly strong side.
The campaign will surely start in a better fashion than the previous two years.
Joint Managers
Darren Holmes and Lee Vigars
Holmes and Vigars are the longest serving Division One managers and the model of stability. Their highest finish was the run to the play-offs in the 2017/18 season.
Opening Five Fixtures
Brigg Town (a), Hall Road Rangers (h), Ollerton Town – League Cup (h), FC Humber United (a), Retford FC.
Notable Movement
In: Nathan Keightley (Pickering Town), Adam Hayton, Jamie Simpson (local football).
Out: Nathan Perks (Nostell Miners Welfare), Conor Glavin (Worsbrough Bridge), Mark Ferguson (Campion).
One to Watch
Adam Walsh
Keightley is the obvious one to watch, but stalwart captain Walsh is a key part of the Welfare line-up and a fans favourite.
Interview
Darren Holmes says Glasshoughton Welfare have to avoid a repeat of two consecutive nightmare starts to the season if they want to compete for the play-offs.
Holmes probably still wakes up screaming and in cold sweats in the middle of the night after dreaming of his new pet hate after two disastrous runs which saw Glasshoughton marooned at the bottom of the league after five winless league games in 2019 and then seven last year.
Both times Welfare won at Dronfield Town to jump-start their season and each time they quickly moved up the table.
However, Holmes admits they cannot afford a third in a row poor opening to the campaign.
“This year we can’t afford to have a bad start,” Holmes told Non League Yorkshire.
“History tells you that we wouldn’t be able to catch-up (if we want to make the play-offs).
“We’re doing everything we can to make sure (a bad start) doesn’t happen this year.
“Last year we went five or six games without winning, but we were coming close (to winning).
“We just didn’t have any luck. Hopefully we’ll get some luck this year and get some points on the above in the first five or six games.
“We’re not here to finish mid-table this year.
“We definitely want to be pushing for that play-offs.
“Everyone will be saying the same I would imagine.
“We’re not going to get promoted automatically, we’re not at that level.
“But if we get a good start then there’s no reason why we can’t push for fourth or fifth place.”
Prolific goal-scorer Nathan Keightley certainly gives Glasshoughton hope of a decent season.
He is a stellar replacement for the departed Nathan Perks and Holmes is pleased with the squad.
“From a squad point of view it is probably strongest (going into a season) since we have been here,” he said.
“We’ve 22 lads all pushing to get in the 16 for the first game of the season.
“Like any manager we’re always looking for a bit more quality and that’ll continue into the season.
“Nathan is a big addition to the squad.
“We’re hoping he’s going to add a bit of quality to the squad to push us up the table.
“Nathan needs to step back again to go forwards.
“He needs to have a season back with us and enjoy his football and get himself back in the shop window.
“Hopefully we can keep hold of him for a full season and then he can progress onwards and upwards.”
Brigg Town provide a stern test for Glasshoughton on the opening weekend before clashes with Hall Road Rangers, FC Humber United and Retford FC.
Holmes just hopes there’s no disruption in the coming weeks and months.
“The only thing that is going to interfere with the season is the pandemic,” he said.
“I hope the league sort something out.
“We don’t want players playing if they should be isolating or if they need a test or if they have it.
“But if you say you can’t field a side when you have four players missing but have 20-odd players signed on, then maybe the other team should be awarded a 1-0 win.
“I don’t know what other people think, but it would keep the season going.
“We can’t have a stop-start season because players will just get fed up and drop back into local football and we won’t see them again.
“We have to accept that the virus is going to be with us for a long time and we need to come up with a solution that doesn’t hurt the game.”
Prediction
Mid-Table, pushing for top half and potentially play-offs.
If you have enjoyed reading Non League Yorkshire over the past few months, please consider making a donation to the not-for-profit organisation NLY Community Sport which provides sport for children and adults with disabilities and learning difficulties. CLICK HERE to visit the JustGiving page. There is a video at the bottom of the page showing our work.
NLY Community Sport, run by James Grayson and Connor Rollinson, has always had combatting social isolation at the top of our objectives when running our Disability Football teams.
Our work is playing an important role in reintroducing our players, who have disabilities and learning difficulties, back into society.
We have six teams, a mixture of Junior and Adult teams – Nostell MW DFC, Pontefract Pirates, Selby Disability Football Club and the South Yorkshire Superheroes (Barnsley) – across Yorkshire.
We have enjoyed great success over the past three years. Several of our players have represented Mencap GB in Geneva, including Billy Hobson from Selby and Greg Smith, whose story is quite inspiring.
You can learn more about the organisation HERE and on our Facebook page.
Watch the video below to see highlights from our three years as an organisation. The video was produced for our players at the end of March to remind them of good memories from the last three years.