First Division North Manager of the Year
Wed 1st June 2022 | Bury | By Alex Thrower
Bury AFC’s Andy Welsh has been named the First Division North’s Manager of the Year after he guided The Shakers to the title, losing just one league game along the way.
Appointed in the summer of 2020, Welsh beat 750 other applicants for the role and enjoyed an impressive start to the eventually curtailed 2020/21 season. The long break between campaigns only seemed to fuel the desire at Neuven Stadium, as the Greater Manchester club went an astonishing 28 games into their campaign before tasting defeat- a 2-0 loss at AFC Blackpool in early February.
Always seemingly with a couple of games in hand over promotion rivals Holker Old Boys and eventual play-off winners Golcar United, Welsh’s side were not top at Christmas but clinched the title with an 11-point gap. Achieving an unbeaten home record with 15 wins and 3 draws, plans at the club are firmly on the future and next season in the Premier Division.
Welsh was thrilled at accepting this award, but the former Stockport County, Sunderland Blackpool midfielder was typically humble when it came to giving himself credit.
“It’s an incredible privilege, but this award is really not about me,” he began.
“It’s not about me as an individual or a striker who scores the winner or a keeper who stops a penalty, it’s about this club. We’ve been a solid group and this first season couldn’t have gone any better- it hasn’t fully sunk in for anyone involved with the club. To win the league with only one defeat, it’s huge credit to the players, the fans and the volunteers who have worked to make this club so great.
“Next year will be harder, but we’ve started working towards it and are looking forward to the challenge.”
First Division North Manager of the Year
Wed 1st June 2022 | Bury
By Alex Thrower
Bury AFC’s Andy Welsh has been named the First Division North’s Manager of the Year after he guided The Shakers to the title, losing just one league game along the way.
Appointed in the summer of 2020, Welsh beat 750 other applicants for the role and enjoyed an impressive start to the eventually curtailed 2020/21 season. The long break between campaigns only seemed to fuel the desire at Neuven Stadium, as the Greater Manchester club went an astonishing 28 games into their campaign before tasting defeat- a 2-0 loss at AFC Blackpool in early February.
Always seemingly with a couple of games in hand over promotion rivals Holker Old Boys and eventual play-off winners Golcar United, Welsh’s side were not top at Christmas but clinched the title with an 11-point gap. Achieving an unbeaten home record with 15 wins and 3 draws, plans at the club are firmly on the future and next season in the Premier Division.
Welsh was thrilled at accepting this award, but the former Stockport County, Sunderland Blackpool midfielder was typically humble when it came to giving himself credit.
“It’s an incredible privilege, but this award is really not about me,” he began.
“It’s not about me as an individual or a striker who scores the winner or a keeper who stops a penalty, it’s about this club. We’ve been a solid group and this first season couldn’t have gone any better- it hasn’t fully sunk in for anyone involved with the club. To win the league with only one defeat, it’s huge credit to the players, the fans and the volunteers who have worked to make this club so great.
“Next year will be harder, but we’ve started working towards it and are looking forward to the challenge.”
