Toolstation NCEL Division One
Scott Mason says Parkgate’s troubles of the past few weeks are over and the club can look forward to creating a successful future.
But the former Maltby Main head honcho says it will take time to stabilise results as he is having to build a new squad.
Asked to paint a picture of what the season will look like at the end of the campaign, Mason told Non League Yorkshire: “That’s a good question.
“I want to get promotion at the end of the day and we’re only one game into (the season) but I have to try and find players to do that and it is going to be tough getting players to Parkgate (because of what has happened in recent weeks).
“Realistically I would like to get us safe and up the table.
“I don’t do things to just do things, I’m here to try and win things and get promotions.
“I’m a realistic and I know it will be virtually impossible to achieve that (this season) but I will have a go.
“The squad that was out Saturday (at Staveley) will be differently to what will be out this Saturday.
“I have a few committed players who are away on stag do’s and holidays and there’s players who are leaving.
“The next few weeks are going to be a juggle around without a doubt.
“When I took over at Maltby (in 2017) I had a couple of weeks of pre-season left, but coming into this a game into it, I’ve never known anything like it.”
He added: “I just want everyone to get behind what we’re trying to achieve in the next few weeks.
“I want players to come down and enjoy it and get the gates up again.
“We’re all local lads and I know a lot of people who watch Parkgate and we want more people coming down and getting behind the club.
“That’ll give us a boost when you’re getting more numbers through the door.
“You look at Hallam with how many they are attracting.
“We aren’t going to attract anywhere near that but their players must be buzzing when they see a bigger crowd.
“It gives them that extra edge and I think we’ll need that over the next few weeks.”
Mason is currently undertaking a mass recruitment to solve the problems which originally began when Andy Dawson and Lee Whitehead and a host of players left for Maltby.
Ryan Hall replaced them before stepping away just days after his appointment.
Liam Kay arrived but he departed when new co-chairman Kieran Gallagher parted company with the club on Saturday.
Mason says he is going to be relying heavily on favours initially.
“Luckily because I have run Sunday sides I am signing a lot of players who will help me out and can play (Step 6),” he said.
“They can’t commit (long-term) but will help me out until I can get everything sorted.
“Potentially we will be signing ten or 15 players who I can use as needs-be until I get everything settled down.
“It is a funny time of the season to try and get players when they’re just starting a season.
“As soon as my name got out there I’ve had players ringing me up and these are players who have played at (Step 6) and at a higher level.”
Mason comes across as a man not worried about signing players but he says the biggest challenge is actually gelling the team together.
“Yes because if you look at our team-sheets over the next few weeks they will be changing because of holidays,” he said.
“Players won’t be gelling because some will be helping me out when I’m short.
“We’ll get there.
“I reckon it’ll take a couple of months.
“The crisis is over, without a doubt.”
Taking over as Parkgate manager is also a dream come true for Mason who returns to the NCEL management world for the first time since leaving Maltby in late 2019.
“I’m been sat looking and twitching thinking ‘somebody will give me a chance’,” he said.
“I took a Sunday (football) job on again and I can only do one or the other and I’ve been looking to get back into Saturdays since 2020 but because of the pandemic nothing was happening.
“I have just sat patiently and Parkgate has always been a job that I have always wanted to do.
“I have been going down there for years, going back to when I was a young lad and playing for the reserves.
“It is a place I have spent a lot of time so I have always been keeping an eye on them.”