Toolstation NCEL Division One
Craig Denton is hoping league leaders Hallam can break their record attendance once again this season on Saturday.
Hallam host Parkgate at Sandygate and Denton says the club are hopeful of breaking past the crowd figure of 1128 for the Brigg Town game in December.
“We want to try and break the record of this season’s highest attendance from when we played Brigg,” Denton told Non League Yorkshire.
“Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United haven’t got a game this weekend so we want to get as many of their supporters and local Non League spectators to come up to Sandygate.
“We’re expecting it to be a good crowd so we want to try and beat the Brigg attendance.
“That would be absolutely magical (if we did).”
The Brigg game saw Hallam win 3-2 and climb to top spot.
Denton’s men have stayed there ever since and they have a six point lead over North Ferriby following five further wins.
Twelve games remain and the pressure is mounting but Denton has been in this position before during his title-winning period with Worksop Town in 2018.
Denton agrees the Worksop experience stands him in good stead for his current battle.
“The pressure when I was at Worksop was really high, way more than Hallam,” he said.
“That’s no disrespect to Hallam as a football club.
“Worksop is a huge club and very ambitious.
“Hallam are ambitious but are also realistic.
“I have a great backroom team in terms of Rob Poulter, Wayne Thompson, James Humphreys and Steve Waide around me so it is not just me holding everything above my shoulders.
“I have a great bubble around me.
“The pressure from Worksop will help me and I’ve got ex-Worksop players who are serial winners like Danny Patterson and others.
“Collectively as a group players and staff we can deal with the pressure.
“But just because you have won a league before and dealt with the pressure is not a guarantee that you’ll go on and continue winning leagues.
“But having that experience of being at the top of the league (with Worksop) and needing to perform week-in-week-out, it comes natural to me.
“It is a process I’ve been through before and I know how it feels emotionally and mentally.
“The experience is valuable and it certainly helps with where we are now with Hallam.”
Denton adds that the pressure is on everyone at the top end of the table.
“The pressure is certainly with us,” he said.
“We try and not concentrate on anyone else.
“If I was the Ferriby manager there would be pressure on me because you need to continue to win.
“That’s pressure because somebody is above you and winning games and is six points clear.
“Again, as Hallam manager, there’s pressure on me because we need to continue winning because if we drop any points Ferriby might catch us up.
“There’s pressure for anyone in the top six, whether you’re Selby wanting to get in the top six or Rossington wanting to stay in the top five.
“I’m just going to concentrate on Hallam Football Club.”
The deadline for transfers is believed to be looming soon and while not ruling out signings, Denton says his criteria for a new recruit is very narrow.
“We placed a couple of approaches over the last couple of weeks,” he said.
“Whoever I bring is someone who would make a positive impact and a bigger impact than what we have got and better than what we have got.
“The likelihood of us recruiting anyone is quite slim.
“I’m not just bringing in players to make up squad numbers and certainly not stockpile.
“I want to bring in players who are going to be a bit of a wow factor and somebody who is going to take us to that next level.
“The chances of that are quite slim but you never know.”