With the 2022-23 season ending with 8 league defeats in a row and this season starting with 4 more including an opening day 4-0 home humbling by newly promoted Warrington Town a new club record of 12 defeats in a row was set, one we would rather not have and it saw the end of Liam Watson’s managerial reign.
Liam had amassed 660 games in charge in his four spells across all competitions since coming to the club in 2003. Liam “moved upstairs” and Jim Bentley took over the hot seat. Form improved and by mid October we had risen to 12th place on the edge of the play off zone. It was to prove a high point as inconsistency was the order of the day and by mid February we were flirting with relegation again.
Three wins in a row at Warrington, Banbury and Chester in March put some daylight away from the bottom four but it was only in the penultimate game when a 3-0 win against Rushall saw National North football assured for 2024-25.
Jack Doyle swept the board winning Supporters Player Of The Year, Players Player Of The Year and also chipped in with Goal Of The Season after a fine free kick at King’s Lynn.
Off the field Ian Kyle relinquished control of the club to Peter Mitchell and the Big Help Group.
The highlights of the season were a 4-1 win at King’s Lynn which came out of the blue and a rare league win at Chester. There were some good results on the road, it was the home matches that were disappointing.
Despite poor home form the average home gate (which included a National North all time low of 512 v Spennymoor) was up 63 to 1070