Toolstation NCEL Division One
Luke Forgione says Worsbrough Bridge’s trip to Germany is a huge honour and that he and his players should be proud to be chosen to represent Barnsley.
Worsbrough have arrived in Schwäbisch Gmünd for the city’s four-day festival which celebrates their twinning relationships with Barnsley, Antibes (France), Bethlehem (USA), Szkesfehervar (Hungary) and Faenza (Italy).
Bridge will play Amateur side FC Normannia on Saturday and Forgione is excited.
“There’s not a massive focus on ourselves to win the game, it is more of a team-bonding activity and about building relationships,” Forgione told Non League Yorkshire.
“It is a great opportunity for all involved.
“I think the main thing is we’re promoting the club.
“The opportunity to go to Germany is not something you usually get the chance to do.
“I spoke to Daz (Hepworth) on Monday and he said he wished he could have done it with Emley. He’s been in Non League management for years, I’ve been in it for two years and I have the chance to manage the club overseas.
“It is a privilege and looking down the line in years to come, my name and the players will always be attached to this trip.
“It is a big thing for the council as well as it is a big celebration in Schwäbisch Gmünd as they are celebrating all their twinning relationships from Hungary, Italy, America and ourselves.
“It is going to be a great event.
“We’ll be in the presence of the mayor (of Barnsley) and the councillors when we’re representing our town.
“I’m fortunate because of the work (at Barnsley College) I do that I’m regularly out there attending different colleges and always representing Barnsley.
“I always mention that to students that ‘you have to remember you are representing our town’.
“It is a privilege to go out there and represent Barnsley and Worsbrough.
“I’m fortunate and the players are fortunate.”
Captain Conor Glavin has signed on for the new season along with Ross Pritchard, Elliot Wilson, Lewis O’Connor, Spenser Sheppard, Alex Hutchinson, Mike Jepps, Owen Haigh, Maxim Hague and Kyle Wordsworth.
Intelligent defender Luke Danville has also become player/coach.
Forgione sounds relatively happy with his recruitment.
“Any Non League manager would find it stressful at this time of year,” he said.
“Last summer was a different challenge because I was saying to players ‘come and give it a go, it is a platform to showcase your ability’.
“Some of the lads who had been at Worsbrough previously and some of the older lads chose not to stay with us because their opinion at the time was they thought the team would be too young.
“We had a good season and some of the younger lads proved they are good enough for the level.
“I’ve faced a different challenge this year in the respect that because we have the boys have done well other clubs have started to see that and targeted some of them.
“It has been more of a challenge to retain the boys we have got.
“We have had lads who have come down and trialled and they have reached out to me. I didn’t get that last year.
“That’s been good and I haven’t targeted five or six players.
“I feel we need to address certain areas and we have tried to target them. We might have addressed them, fingers crossed.”
Worsbrough have one game under their belts prior to Saturday as they won 3-2 at Darren Hepworth’s Hepworth United.
Hepworth had an almost unprecedented crowd in recent memory of 143 and Forgione says it was a great night for everyone.
“The friendly came about because of having played against Daz’e teams in the past,” he said.
“He tried to sign me a couple of times and I turned him down so it feels strange to share the side-line with him.
“I always remember one time when I kicked the ball into the dugout at him!
“It makes you laugh how things change in football.
“Hepworth is a great place and it is a beautiful ground because of how scenic it.
“It was a brilliant evening and I was really impressed with the club.
“Daz is doing some great work to take that club forward and it was a competitive game so it was a throughly enjoyable game for our first one of pre-season.”