A very warm welcome to the Welfare Ground for our first fixture of 2017. I always find this time of year slightly bizarre. In true “Fever Pitch” style I always thought a year ran from August to May…….well I guess that’s the case in football parlance.

So yes we are opening up a new calendar and one that as things currently stand is full of promise. Forgive my caution. We have a long way to go. At AFC Emley in recent years we have become accustomed to being “in the mix” but not quite bringing home the bacon. We are more determined than ever to get this club promoted this season. AFC Emley are ready. For the past few years the club has transformed significantly on and off the field – and recognising we are custodians of a fantastic heritage (albeit in a reformed capacity) we want football to remain at the Welfare for decades to come.

So why are we ready?

Off the field we have a committee under the stewardship of Nigel Wakefield (our Chairman) who have worked tirelessly to rebuild and establish our club as a respected brand in non-league football. Running a club at this level is equivalent to running a small business. Imagine doing that in your spare time? This club has a clear vision, purpose and direction – and importantly we are solvent! They have also managed to grow a talented team of volunteers – again no easy task. Our coverage in terms of PR & Social Media has frankly been incredible and commercially has driven sponsorship and impressively an average gate of 150+ for every home game. Clubs three tiers higher would give anything for that!

On that I’d like to give a special shout out to every one of our sponsors – your support and generosity helps us live. For that we are humbly grateful.

I’ve talked over the years about the importance of having the right infrastructure – one that will sustain a club for years. In the absence of a major benefactor (i.e. someone who will continue to throw money at it) you really need to build. Its hard yards but we are getting there. Our partnership with Kirklees College in its first U19 season is going remarkably well and we are already talking about how we can progress in future years. Our Development Squad is literally going through “re-development” with a shift towards bringing through the best U19 talent. Over the holiday season we recruited Chris Ellerby to join Mathew Barker in running our Development Squad. Their mandate is to build the relationship and transition process with our U19’s. With Chris’ experience complementing Matt’s enthusiasm & drive I feel we have the right team to drive this forwards. Our objective with both teams is less about winning trophies but more about identifying and growing talent that in due course will pull on an AFC Emley 1st team shirt. This is not a quick process – it does require patience and belief. Down the line who knows where this could go…….other junior sides and a ladies team?

Talking of volunteers……after a warm welcome from June and Andrew Wood (on the gate)…..check out our lovely Dug Out Diners…..proper 5 star rated cuisine and top notch service and smiles from Christine, Karen, Trudy, Jayne and my Jo. Once you’ve sampled that go and check out the bar where Sue & Bazza will serve up some wit and a fine pint. You will probably have already met Andrew Wray, Andrew Painten and Dan Brownhill who in addition to their committee roles are generally on point on match days with a warm welcome. Oh and make sure you're looking your best....club photographer and committee member Mark Parsons will no doubt snap you...his work is great for bringing the game back to life through the images he captures.

All of these folks and others put on a seamless show which frankly allows myself and my management team to focus on matters on the pitch…….

Talking of which. We have top groundstaff who work hard to prepare the pitch for all of our teams – congratulations to Marcus & Jordan for winning the NCEL groundsman of the year award!

Reflecting on 2016 it was simply a case of so near but yet so far. Last season culminated in a heart-breaking play off final defeat at Bottesford where we managed to steal defeat from the jaws of victory. That said the whole experience really galvanised us and there is a real sense of purpose to ensure we finish the job properly this season. Our record in terms of league games over the calendar year has been impressive. Played 43, won 30, drew 7 and lost only 6 games. Regular followers of AFC Emley know they are guaranteed entertainment. Our philosophy is to play attacking, dynamic, fluid football – however the main focus this season is to blend this with a much more solid defensive framework. There are days when I watch our lads and I’d seriously pay good money to watch them. Football being what it is…..there is the odd day when I’d like my money back! Over the past year we have scored an impressive 139 goals conceding only 46……at home we average 4 goals a game. But in the end it is a results business – and getting enough of them in a season to make it count is what’s required.

In terms of the season so far we are exactly where we want to be. Leading from the front does not phase us at all – and there is certainly no complacency in the camp. Neither is there any fear. We are currently on a fantastic run and enjoying ourselves!

We certainly have the players to do it. I managed to keep the majority of the squad from last season and have strengthened to the extent that we have excellent depth and cover in all positions. The toughest job (and as a manager this is always the case) is keeping everyone happy. The lads are a great bunch. Blessed with brilliant ability they have continued to gel and grow as a unit. Although I have pretty much kept a settled team where I can, I have continued to rotate when the opportunity presents itself. I trust every single player at this club – they wouldn’t be here if they weren’t good enough. If our destiny is promotion this season it will be down to 20+ players. That’s what’s required in a 60+ game season.

A question I’m often asked is….”well Daz what do you think you need to do to go a step further than last season?”…….

The final ingredient is a basic one. It’s something that Joe, Pat & I have instilled in the players for some time and is now showing signs of delivering. Fundamentally its about defending better. This is not just about defensive shape and drills – its also a mindset – celebrating a good tackle like you do a goal. Putting your body on the line. Analysing when you concede so that you don’t make the same mistake next time etc. After our 9-2 win last week you’d think the lads would have been talking about the goals they scored…..oh no…..they were debating about the ones we conceded.

So in a nutshell – getting a defensive mind-set and resilience to compliment our style of play will make the difference – we firmly believe that.

The other factor here is that as a collective group we set a high bar in terms of performance level. We are very self-critical. The lads are very honest and will openly discuss areas where we can improve. Joe & Pat are fantastic with them…..passionate and knowledgeable – its so pleasing to see the benefit of what they bring working with the lads….not forgetting they are volunteers too!

Creating the right environment for the players is also massively important. You might wonder why so many players leave and then come back? Well a big part of it is down to the work that some others put in. John Mason (Mr Emley) and Jo Dickens ensure that the players are looked after with respect to any knocks & injuries. With so many games this is crucial. They also prepare the changing rooms and sort everything out – I honestly couldn’t do this job without them. Jo is also Vice Chair – so literally another example of a committee member being an integral part of how we run things. In addition this season we've added Chris Liversidge from North Light Physio to the team. Chris brings his expertise to the gym every Monday to help the lads - and it's really paying dividends.

So my last piece on why we are ready…….goes to you……our supporters.

Since taking on this privileged position I’ve been struck by the warmth of your support. You’ve been patient (even through the tougher times), you’re loyal and passionate and I’m still staggered by the growing numbers both home and away! I recently joined our “Shedenders” for a quick chat whilst they were tucking into a lovely looking lunch. I loved the spirit and togetherness of the people round the table – all bound by one love – our football club.

So after 5 seasons at the helm I’ve certainly been given enough time and given enough time! We have everything in place and we are ready to deliver our primary aim for this season – promotion. Anything other than that this season in my eyes is failure.

But whatever happens AFC Emley will be around for many more years to come……

Happy New Year – 2017 the Year of the Pewits!

Daz