One man with a unique insight into the position that Silsden find themselves in considers that the club still has unfulfilled potential.

Silsden rocketed through the pyramid system and then climbed the first step of the non-league ladder in just one season. Consolidation followed and, if anything, they underachieved last term.

However, keeper Martin Foulger said: “Possibly, as a club, we are still learning at this level and we have a young team that is going to struggle to find consistency.”

Foulger is one of a dwindling number of squad players that has been on the ride right from the start.

The stellar rise had to hit a ceiling somewhere along the way and the big shot-stopper emphasised that point.

“To say it was a steep rise is an understatement. We had seven promotions in eight years as I recall.

“I guess we tend to forget that at times like this, when we are mid-table in a tough league.

“Where we came from is a world away because of the money being thrown around at this level.

“We are competing with clubs that have been established at this level, or even dropped down from a higher level, and that proves just how well we are doing.

“We have not got our own ground and, because of that, we can’t generate any money on the social side.

“We have to pay rent, don’t make any income from the bar and don’t have a massive following.

“Our fans are very good and they have stuck with us and the people who run the club are doing a lot of work to get our own facilities up to standard.

“But still we are competing with these other clubs. Last season we showed that, on our day, we can beat anyone in this division.

“It was still a disappointing end though – from the end of February it just fell away.

“Everyone expected a top-four, or six, finish at the worst. Our form fell away and we dropped below that.

“I think it was more a case of over-achieving in the first half of the season than under-achieving in the last couple of months.

“We are still all keen to take it to the next level (promotion to the UniBond League). We know that it would be daunting but it would bring more money in.”