Firstly, I would like to thank everyone at the club for being so welcoming, from the junior section coaches I have met to the committee members who all can’t do enough for the management team and players.

Work is ongoing, in and around the ground, to give the place a lift and in a short space of time the improvement has been fantastic. Our goals this year are simply to put a smile back on people's faces and create an environment where people can come and watch a game of football and enjoy the day out.

Squad wise, we have had to start completely from scratch. All but 2 players have left the club, and the Reserves team regrettably is no more, so this season will feature players from wherever we can get them. Our focus once we get going and for next season, is to tempt some local names to the club and over time, hopefully develop some players from our newly formed junior section.

Our friendlies have been mixed. Some good performances, some bad. The effort has been there but the players legs currently aren’t doing what their brain is telling them. We haven’t had enough time on the training pitch and as holidays are still ongoing, I don’t think we will see the squad in it’s entirety for a few more weeks.

When the FA dropped step 7 off the Football Pyramid, I anticipated an easier life of September start times and 26 game seasons, but nothing has changed. We have 8 fixtures in August and half the squad is in Ibiza, Magaluf or wherever else they trot off to now. The break in between season's gets shorter so who can blame them?

With our first league game approaching I’m sat here thinking “It never used to be this hard”. That’s not a complaint of the club, but player commitment has never been so bad at this level of football.

We also have to battle with the “How much are you paying brigade?” of players. We have to deal with clubs a couple of league higher hoarding players until the beginning of the season, giving them a chance to earn some pocket money or play the level these kids think they’re good enough for. Most of them have only played a handful of senior games but are told they should be playing at this Step or that Step before they’ve had a proper season to learn what it’s all about. Local players after they have had a taste of money, leave their clubs very rarely to return. A lot of them pack in because they don’t remember the joy of just playing and why would they go back to their local team anyway when all their mates have left.

Maybe I am forgetting, maybe it has always been like this? What I do know is that it’s the same for everyone at this level that don’t pay their players and after 15 years of managing in and around it, my commitment hasn’t dwindled. Walking into a club like Ollerton and seeing the potential for the facilities, the junior section and the committee members enthusiasm to get the club back to where they want it to be, raises a smile and gives me all the motivation I need to get some points on the board this season.

In summary, it’s going to be a very long season for everyone involved, let’s all enjoy the ride together.

Cooky

(#CookOut)