Thackley
Strong finish brings hope for 2008-09
The club spent too many months flirting with relegation from the Northern Counties East Premier Division for their supporters' nerves but ultimately it was a positive outcome.
Thackley were founder member of the division - an amalgamation of the old Yorkshire and Midland leagues in the 1982-83 season.
They are the only club in at the inception to have spent the intervening quarter of a century in the same division.
It is a record they are proud of, and it's no mean feat given the levels of finance and commitment needed.
They are happy to end the season well clear of the relegation places and push for a rise up the table next term.
"It might sound silly after finishing where we did but it was a very encouraging end to the season," said Thackley's head coach John Boyle after last Saturday's defeat to champions Winterton Rangers.
"We have some good players here, some good youngsters that have come through the ranks and new signings that have fitted in really well. We are looking forward to the next campaign already.
"There is no getting away from the fact that it has been a difficult season but we will try to use that experience to make us stronger.
"We built a side in the close season that was good on paper but we soon realised that it wasn't good enough for what we wanted.
"We had to do a rebuilding job mid-season, and that is hard. Attracting players half-way through a campaign is difficult but we managed it and have a good balance."
Boyle and the Thackley think-tank looked around the County Amateur divisions and the Sunday Leagues to put the finishing touches to their squad which was once more predominantly made up of players who had come through Graham Clifford's youth system.
12:46pm Friday 9th May 2008
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