Pics: Richard Parkes
WHEN AFC Fylde chairman David Haythornthwaite was persuaded over a pint to get involved with a little club near Blackpool, the plan to reach the Football League by 2022 was put in motion.
The multi-millionaire was roped in by good friend Dai Davis – now president, then chairman, of a West Lancashire League side known as Kirkham & Wesham.
That was ten years ago and since then they've only been going one way. Last Saturday the north-west outfit, who won the FA Vase in 2008 and changed their name the same year, sealed the National League North title and took the latest step towards the goal that is stitched onto the players' shirt.
Three of those promotions have come under manager Dave Challinor, the former Tranmere Rovers and Bury defender who dropped two levels from Colwyn Bay with assistant Colin Woodthorpe to take up the challenge.
The 41-year-old had already won the Northern Premier League Division One North as a player with Bay, and then guided the Welsh club to Step 2 in his first season as a manager.
Gamble
So dropping back down could be seen as a gamble. But it also showed how ambitious Haythornthwaite and Fylde were. With impressive plans for a new home and with plenty of investment on the pitch, Challinor made the leap.
“We'd probably taken Colwyn Bay above their level really,” Challinor says. “Success would have been staying in the Conference North, as it was at the time. The question then as a young manager who wants to manage at the very highest level is: do you stay there where stability is success, or go and challenge yourself where there isn't a glass ceiling?
“When I was still playing at Colwyn Bay I was applying for jobs. Chester reformed and I applied for that. Obviously Neil Young, who was manager at Colwyn Bay, got the job and it allowed me to step into the breach as player-manager and I brought Colin in with me.
“We were interviewed for the job at Altrincham, which we didn't get. But you're always looking for an opportunity to improve. Fylde were a club we knew.
“Kelham O'Hanlon was the manager at the time and he was with us at Bury, so we knew him well. We saw him at a lot of games and he spoke to us about the club's ambition. Kelham obviously then left and the opportunity arose to see what they were doing.
“We spoke to Dave and Dai and I got a phonecall on the way home offering me the job. It was too good an opportunity to pass up and it's turned out really well.
“I'm still learning as a manager. You learn right the way through. But it's given me a lot more experience and strings to my bow – and allowed me to move across into full-time management, which is something I always wanted.”
Challinor impressed Haythornthwaite with a handwritten cover letter as part of his application. Studious and academic, he started a degree in physiotherapy while still playing and took his coaching badges to open as many avenues for when he retired.
The Football League has always been his goal and why Fylde are such a good fit. Last summer they moved to full-time football as they also moved into their impressive new Mill Farm home.
As Non-League set-ups go it is right at the top and they've settled in well, losing just one game on their own turf on their way to the title.
“The chairman was great during the build around things like how we wanted the home changing room set up,” Challinor says.
Detail
“We had a look around Man City's training complex and picked up some ideas from there. Our changing room is a horseshoe shape so all the lads can see each other. We've got a warm-up room in there for the lads to stretch.
“Something we picked up from the academy stadium at the Etihad is having individual en-suite, if you like, dressing rooms for the officials.
“The attention to detail behind the scenes is amazing. We're still building an education centre and hopefully that will be up and running in September. Then the 3G pitches will go alongside that.
“So there's still lots of planning and increased facilities that will help us massively in terms of training. I suppose it's the same thing for many clubs. Facilities at a lower level are the things that can hold you back. To have what we've got as a main ground is great, and the other things that go alongside that like the training ground can only add to what we do.”
They currently train at Kellamergh Park, the club's former home ground. The players – who Challinor is full of praise for – have breakfast together, they have lunch at Mill Farm on Fridays and plans are being made for improvements to make it a place players want to relax and spend time together off the training pitch.
In a part-time league, full-time training has obviously helped. But Challinor says they've had to make the transition carefully.
Recruitment focused on players who had the mentality to cope with full-time training. England C midfielder Dan Bradley arrived partway through the season and in striker Danny Rowe they've got the most prolific striker in Non-League football.
Challinor admits to a feeling of relief when they were finally crowned champions at Boston United last week. After two years of missing out in the play-offs, they're making the step up – and the boss knows there's a gap to bridge.
Challenge
“This is the biggest jump,” he says. “It's important you get your infrastructure right, in terms of staffing and the ground. Sometimes timing is everything.
“For us to have the infrastructure off the pitch with Mill Farm is great. We've just got to make sure we keep moving forward. We're one step away but this is the biggest step in terms of the league we're in and the one we're going into next season.
“All of a sudden it becomes a completely different league with all the teams in there – the ex-Football League clubs and some really ambitious up-and-coming clubs who all harbour the same goals.
“It's a new challenge. To pit your wits against other clubs is a new adventure. I know our chairman and board are looking forward to going to different grounds and I'm sure our fans are too.
“For us as a management team and players it's great and something we're looking forward to.”
