17 August 2013
The Northern League Division One season begins today, with Marske United visiting Heritage Park. The team that takes the pitch today will be very different from the one I greeted when I took over the club.
It's hard to stand in the way of a footballer who wants to test his skills at a higher level, and earn more money for doing it. Five of our guys left the club in recent weeks, including
Darren Griffiths, who signed for Padiham. The Storks offered us the same deal we got for
Peter Sawyer, so we'll get 25% of the price should Padiham sell Griffiths on. The supporters weren't happy with the deal. Hopefully the new players we've brought in will win them over.
I signed 10 of them, which was much more a necessity than a luxury. Here's the club that will represent Bishop Auckland for the 2013/14 season.
Goalkeepers
Normally I'd be concerned about going into a season with two teenage 'keepers, but these lads are mentally tough enough to remain in control, even if they concede a goal or two.
Griffin will be the starter, but
Field will get plenty of opportunities to show what he can do, too.
Defenders
Reed will be the first choice on the left, with
Casey on the right. Both are well-rounded defenders and Casey, in particular, is sure enough on the ball to contribute to the attack.
Vice captain
Lord is tenacious, good in the air, and is capable of doing more than simply booting the ball clear when it comes his way. He'll usually be paired with
Pook, a strong, tough, old-fashioned English centre half in the making.
I'd be comfortable with
Hunt at either left or centre back.
Hughes is a midfielder, but he'd be fine in the back row, too. Most of our depth would have to come from the youth teams.
Midfielders
Don't try to tell me that
Lumley has zero value. He's technically adept, versatile, and determined, and he's our first choice on the left flank. Human mosquito
Birch will be buzzing along the other side.
Baker is the team's creator, a slick playmaker who knows the game well. He'll be partnered with
Hughes, whom I'll expect to drop back and provide solid defensive cover in the middle. Baker was an easy choice for club captain.
Day, and youngsters
Forsyth and
Gray, can give the side a quick injection of pace. Forsyth is a particularly promising offensive midfielder.
Strikers
I play two strikers almost all the time, so having five of them in the senior team isn't as much of a luxury as it might otherwise seem.
I'm pleased that
Baker is still in the team, after several bigger clubs showed interest. He isn't terribly fast, but he's comfortable setting up a teammate or finishing the job himself.
Walker is basically Darren Griffiths, only much less expensive.
Petchey has no signature skill, but does almost everything I'd ask of a forward fairly well.
Cobb is the fastest of the group, and
Gilbert might wear the captain's arm band one day.
There are 24 teams in our league, so many of the screenshots I'll be posting won't include all of them. Hopefully I'll be able to leave off the bottom of the table.
According to the pundits, we are the very definition of a mid-table club, which is what our board expect us to be.
We are the youngest team in the league, with an average age of just over 20. As I was looking for players to sign this summer, I chose men who had the best set of attributes for the roles I wanted them to fill, and who would play for the wages I could afford to pay them. In doing so, I've gone against the conventional wisdom, which says that physical prowess--pace and stamina--are the keys to success in the lower leagues. We're possibly going to put a first eleven on the pitch that is slower than any other in the league, but we might have as much technical ability as anyone.
It will either work well, or I'll get sacked. We'll see which it will be.
Oh, and here's our nifty kit.
