By Matt Badcock
Alvechurch
IAN LONG says Alvechurch are looking forward to visiting plenty of new grounds in the Evo-Stik South – as long as they get the right result.
A year after racking up more than 100 points only to miss out on the Midland League title to Hereford, Long's side went one better to win promotion to Step 4.
And the former Tividale boss says they're up for the challenge.
“We're looking forward to it,” Long said. “A couple of years ago we went to Cleethorpes in the Vase – that's the furthest we've been and we're going there again.
“We've obviously got Sheffield, Stocksbridge, Spalding, Lincoln we've done before with Tividale. We enjoy it. We get the music blazing and a few beers if we've won. The coach trips are alright then. It's when you've lost.
“I think the lads realise it's going to be a long trip home if we've not got the right result. But when you have it's important for team spirit.”
Alvechurch have exciting plans for a new ground that they are already using as a training base.
Long has been pleased with their summer shopping that includes the arrival of Luke Keen, who has topped the league's goal charts with Romulus in the past.
His management team have experience of Step 4 when they were in charge at Tividale, but he admits it will be a learning curve.
“It's been a couple of years since we've been at the level so we're a little bit apprehensive about what the level is like,” Long said. “We think we're going to be alright when we compare the side we had at Tividale to the side we have now. It's whether the level has improved itself.
“There are some big clubs, Corby Town have dropped into the league, Frickley, and we've got Leek Town on the opening day – they're an ex-Conference club. So it's going to be a tough opener, we'll expect them to be a very good side.”
And he's also looking forward to welcoming back some players whose jobs mean a last-minute getaway before the big kick-off.
“We've got a few lads away at the moment because they are teachers or their partners are,” Long added. “It's something we have to put up with at this level of football and it does them good as well. As long as they watch what they eat, if there's a gym in the hotel or they can go and have a couple of runs, it does them ok.
“We check their weights when they come back to make sure they haven't put anything ridiculous on!”
Cleethorpes Town
CLEETHORPES TOWN boss Marcus Newell reckons he might just enjoy a few games in the Evo-Stik South this season.
The Owls only had eyes for the Northern Counties East Premier division title last season.
Newell's side surpassed even that, landing the championship with a record number of points, winning the Lincolnshire Senior Cup and reaching the FA Vase final at Wembley.
They kick off the new season against Gresley and the manager is looking forward to seeing how his side cope with the step up.
“Last year we set the target of winning the league,” Newell said. “So every game was must-win and you don't always enjoy that.
“I don't want to use the cliché of just staying in the league but if we can get mid-table that will be great. It's exciting to go to different places and there's less pressure on. That gives me the time to see where we're at and then by the end of next year have a team capable of pushing the following year. We're hoping to get the new ground next year which will help us a lot, so it's exciting. I wanted a team in our town capable of playing at this level and I think we have.”
Star striker Brody Robertson has joined National League North Alfreton, while Leigh Hutchinson is making the same leap to Step 2 with North Ferriby United.
“We've brought a centre-forward in, Danny North, who has played at a good level,” Newell said. “He's another local lad who fits the bill and we've brought in a young lad called Ollie Donald from our close neighbours Bottesford. He's a young centre-half, 19 years old.
“So we've not gone crazy. The budget is the same as last year – which is not as much as some people seem to think – and for me this year is going to be a learning curve. See what these places are like and see how good our lads are.
“The majority have been here since the Lincs League. They've done fabulous and I still think we'll be OK at this level. But you don't know until you get out there.”
Peterborough Sports
PETERBOROUGH Sports manager Jimmy Dean insists there is no pressure on his players as they prepare for their first-ever season of Step 4 football.
Back-to-back promotions from the United Counties League have left the city's second biggest side in uncharted territory.
On the way to their double promotion success, the Turbines have broken a string of records and have been the top-scorers in the top ten levels of UK football for successive seasons.
Dean said: “It's totally different for us this time around. The last two seasons there has been a massive expectancy for us to win things, but now we've got to where we have people are expecting us to struggle.
“We will be coming up against clubs who have got a lot bigger budgets than ourselves so there is no pressure on us to do well.
“For me, budgets are over-rated, it's all about the players you've got at your disposal. The players here are reasonably looked after and they are buying in to what we are trying to achieve. We are now Peterborough's second biggest club and everyone at the club is proud of that.
“We've put a lot in to get where we have today and I'm pleased that the team hasn't been ripped apart in the summer after building it over the last couple of years.
“There are big clubs like Kettering and Rushden 30 minutes down the road, but we know we are never going to take players off the likes of them.”
Despite getting their first taste of life in Division One South of the Northern Premier League, Dean, whose side open their campaign at home to Kidsgrove next Saturday, is aiming high.
“I think we might surprise a few sides,” he said. “I'm targeting reaching the play-offs and if we can manage that it would be a huge over-achievement in our first season at this level.”
