So with several official match reports done by myself on a pre season that started way back on 1st August, yes you read that right...1st August with a 3-1 win against Beechfield (remember that?) when we were all excited about coming out of lockdown to now, when finally Prestwich Heys 2020-21 season in the North West Counties Division one North starts away at Daisy Hill with us fans getting giddy because the local lock down restrictions in Bolton were eased to enable the pubs to open..not much changed then in two months?, lifestyle wise no.
But my preview here is nothing morbid about the life situation we all face and the effect it has on our beautiful game, you’ve all read that everywhere else already and if, like me are sick to death of it you need not worry as here we focus on the positives so grab your beverage of choice sit in your comfy chair and let us begin.
It was a very strange feeling that opening home game against Beechfield with whom it was announced in the summer we would have a link up with to give players match time and assist with fitness of players returning from injury .Games were to be played behind closed doors and we play well in a 3-1 win but with just with myself and half a dozen of our amazing volunteers closed doors was something we were quickly going to have to get used to on and off the pitch.
Very quickly though the mood was lightened as many Heys fans the majority regular faces who had been spectators for years stood on the hill behind the goal for the visit of Premier League Sisden and cheered on as Heys are narrowly. defeated 4-3.
Tommy and Scott Brady came up with the idea of a couple of step ladders with a plank in between (see below) at the Sandgate Road end of the ground and a perfect vantage point and so the ‘plankers’ were born verses the ‘hillbillies’ at the other end of the ground.
The Brady Family...pure plankers!
My personal amusement came in the next game, a 2-0 defeat to Padiham when I saw two other men doing the same plank thing..never seen them before and come to think of it never seen them since either!.
23 August now and fans are finally let back in and it has an effect on the team as we decimate Division One South side Main Road 4-0 a large crowd gather, much bigger than anticipated with shocking weather conditions and, we hit the maximum 150 spectators allowed under the current restrictions, fantastic effort!furthermore It was good to see new and young faces watching on.
The following week we hit the covid capacity again in a 2-1 win against Charnock Richard and when you look at last seasons average of 120 spectators to get two gates in friendlies of 150 is a massive source of encouragement and with our first home game approaching on 6th August V Ashton Town and no one being able to attend football matches between the Premiership and Conference North I hope the local public will be temped to come and watch the mighty Heys.
The Murray's and friends..the direction we need to go in as a football club...get the kids in!
So what about our opponents next season in Division one?, we are down to 19 teams from 20 after the sad demise of Yorkshire side Shelley FC after recent events. The one massive addition as far as us Heys fans are concerned are the addition of AFC Bury who after much internal argument and wrangling amongst themselves controversially gained a place amongst the Division One elite, despite a lot of opposition from local step 7 sides who had spent a lot of money in attempts to apply for the Counties League for the 2020-21 season only to be overlooked for a team that had just been ‘invented’. For me I will still look forward to our traditional derby in recent seasons v Chadderton who always offer a great challenge and a good set of lads.
Agree or disagree with the admission of this Bury splinter club it does bring two mouth watering tests for us and we play them as soon as Tuesday 20 October at Neuven Stadium Radcliffe and they undoubtably will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming season.
As last season the two Liverpool sides of Lower Breck and AFC Liverpool will be fighting it out, although AFC have lost a couple of top players that had them cemented in last seasons top four before lock down hit, they will go close and Ashton Town may well join the chasing pack and we always get a team who are a surprise package in the season, who knows who that could be?.
Finally lets talk about our team,ok so pre season results weren’t the best but eight out of the twelve teams played were all a league above in the Premiership and lets be honest a lot of these games got disjointed because we made more substitutions than you get in Asda shopping home delivery! , Matt Barnes wanted us to be tested against a higher level in order to learn more about where we are at and where we want to be.
We put up a magnificent display in the FA Vase against another Premier league side away at Penistone and deserved more than a penalty shoot out loss, only one side wanted to play football that day, that was us, but that’s football and we go again.
Our first team squad then?
We look strong in so many areas, fans and managers player of the season last time out goalie Russ Saunders will be an integral part of the side but will be kept on his toes by under 18’s keeper Joe Keane who at only 16 has made such a good impression at under 18 level, Matt Barnes has already given young Joe a couple of first team outings pre season. The back four will vary but Nathan Emery at left back new signing Anthony Potts Aidy Bellamy and captain Jacob Holt will fight out centre back with Joe Rothwell looking like the preferred right back but other options include Scott Cullen and Dom Williams amongst others.
In Midfield we have the returning Max White who will still for me despite injury woes be an integral part of everything we do with a spraying pass or a dead ball situation, but then the new bread.. James Dwyer who’s been amazing pre season, Brad Sixsmith when he shortly returns from injury and our new recruit from the under 18’s Ollie Scott who has raised so many eyebrows pre season,including mine. Jamie Roe also joined us last week from Maine Road and will be pushing for a midfield start and the versatile Jamie Sinnott will be working hard and giving 100% as he does every week and so will always be in the forefront for selection.
Alfie Belcher made every Heys fans day when he returned from a spell in the USA this summer and re -signed for our club, he burst onto the scene for us a couple of years ago in John Lyons last full season in that magnificent 91 point haul in the league terrorising defences, he was a joy to watch. Alfie has improved each game as pre season went on, watch him go for us this term…
Up front we have Jack Coop a proven goal scorer and already has a hat-rick in his pocket pre season and with the service from the wide men he will receive he is likely to have a big season.
Which leads nicely on to our wingers with Will Shawcross returning to us from Trafford recently which was a massive boost to go alongside local boy Jamie Hill, summer signing from Chadderton Nathan Strong and Niall Sultan who can also cover for striker Jack Coop .
So its time for the talking to stop and the football to start, I have said before on this site I love the optimism of the opening day, though no sun and the smell of freshly cut grass in October I fear!
Fixture wise, we have eight league games to play in October including difficult hurdles away at AFC Bury and AFC Liverpool. In my opinion if we win six of these eight matches and having taken into account that nothing is won in November it will be a massive benchmark of where we need to be.
As Saturday's game at Daisy Hill was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch the next game will be at home to Ashton Town Tuesday 6th October ko 745pm
Thanks for reading.
Rick x