NCE League Div One: 8th – P42 W20 D8 L14 F98 A70 GD28 Pts68

CAMPION’S first season on the non-league ladder was a very positive one as James Bicknell’s side were competing for a place in the play-offs right up until the last month of the Toolstation Northern Counties East League Division One campaign.

They came up just short as they finished two places outside the top six but won almost half of their league games and almost hit three figures in the goals-for column.

Life on the football pyramid began with away victories at Westella & Willerby and the more established Selby Town.

Campion enjoyed a five-game unbeaten start, which brought 11 points from a possible 15 before they suffered their first loss.

That first defeat was 2-0 at Winterton Rangers and preceded a first home reverse as Hallam won 3-2 at the sportsbulk.co.uk Stadium on the first Saturday of September.

Bicknell’s men were sixth by the end of October and hovered around that lofty position, despite having fewer games than most of their rivals.

Campion were not eligible for the FA Vase as newcomers to non-league soccer and were not qualified for the FA Cup.

However, they will be looking forward to making their debuts in both competitions, and the possibility of earning some big pay days.

Bicknell’s men will be eligible for the Vase and have earned their place in the FA Cup by finishing inside the top ten of NCE Division One.

Their knockout competitions last term were restricted to the League Cup and the West Riding County Cup, and both ended at the first hurdle.

Following byes in the first two rounds of the league cup, Campion were drawn at Harrogate Railway Athletic in the third round and were beaten 5-2.

Bicknell’s men faced National League outfit Harrogate Town away in the County Cup, with again the third round being their first tie in the competition.

The meeting was originally scheduled for early December but Simon Weaver’s Town had an FA Trophy replay to attend to.

It was eventually played just days before Christmas and, although the home side ran out comfortable winners, it was a great experience for Campion’s players.

There were good crowds home and away for the derby games with Eccleshill United, which resulted in an away draw but a 3-1 home defeat to the Eagles.

The biggest crowd, however, was for a Thursday night home game against Dronfield Town that kicked off the NCE League’s Easter Weekend Goundhop event.

All of the highs and lows of their first season have merely whetted the appetite for the next campaign.