Plenty of Pre-season Prep going on at Prestwich
Fri 16th June 2023 | Prestwich Heys | By Jay Cooper
The 2022/23 season at the Adie Moran Park was a historic one in many ways. After the summer departure of management team Matt Barnes and Sean Cookson, alongside essentially 90% of the active squad from 2021/22, new gaffers Lee O’Brien and James Hampson had quite a job on their hands to build on, off the back of Heys’ first ever season in the NWCFL Prem.
They passed that test with more than flying colours, sitting comfortably in the upper-mid table area by the time the season came to an end. Speaking to Hampson about this accomplishment, he said that “it's been an eye opener for me and OB (Lee O’Brien) since we took charge last year. There was a big exodus of players, and it left us with basically 3 men and a dog. And yet we managed to assemble a team which finished 7th. We were really happy overall, but we were left wondering ‘what if?’ a little bit”.
Their work in the league wasn’t their only achievement either, as Heys also finished the season with some silverware after defeating NWCFL First Division North side Atherton LR in the final of the Bolton Hospital Cup. “It's always nice to finish the season with some silverware. We took the competition seriously, and, as favourites, our aim was to win it. It was my daughter's birthday, and it also became my final game (as a player-coach), so it was a special game all around for me, the club, and the fans”.
This cup final victory was certainly a highlight from the season just gone, but there were still some choppy waters to wade through as Lee and James guided the club to their highest-ever finish in the EFL system. To hear James tell it, the key was “sticking together - that's what it all came down to! We had a bit of an up and down season - we were kicked out of the Vase after beating favourites Whitby; we lost a talisman to Avro; and centre half to Lancaster. But still, we had some big results and great performances both home and away”.
With all of this first-season success now in the rear-view mirror, Heys have been looking forwards to the 2023/24 campaign, where they will be a part of a 24-team NWCFL Premier Division. Like most sides around them, they’ve set up a number of pre-season friendlies for the summer, including against high-league opponents like Atherton Collieries and Radcliffe.
On top of that, they’ve also managed to get a couple of key players from the 2022/23 season to commit to the club with more than just word of mouth. During the back end of 2021/22, Heys, for the first time ever, were able to put players under year-long contracts, and this is a habit that Lee and James have built on now that the 2022/23 season has concluded. Last season’s Players’ Player of the Season Jacob Ngoy and promising youngster Regan Brown have both penned their short-term futures to the M45 side.
In James’ words, “the season never really finishes for managers. We've had numerous meetings and conversations with the club, for things both on and off the field. Me, OB and the coaching staff have got together to sort out what's happening next season to try and get the foundations in place early so we can hit the ground running. We've also spoken to a few players to try and bolster the squad, bring in some competition for positions and improve on what we already have”.
By the time late July rolls around and the NWCFL season is back underway, the club are also prepared what a challenge they might face if they wish to fare even better than they last season. “Of course, we're looking to improve on last season. We know how difficult the league will be, given that Bury FC have been flexing their muscles, there are some well-known teams coming down from the league above and there’s also some strong teams that have been promoted. We'll be looking at playing Saturday/Tuesday for the next 33 weeks, plus cup games. It's going to be a slog, so we need a big squad who are all pulling their weight together.”
The off-season is a crucial time for teams at this level, and last summer it was a time of significant change at Prestwich Heys. After such a strong opening chapter in the era of Lee O’Brien and James Hampson, and with it being unlikely at this time to see a slew of departures in the same way they did last year, the 2022/23 campaign could act as a stepping stone for the side from the Adie Moran Park to move further towards the top as we get closer and closer to the start of a packed Premier Division season in mid-summer.
Plenty of Pre-season Prep going on at Prestwich
Fri 16th June 2023 | Prestwich Heys
By Jay Cooper
The 2022/23 season at the Adie Moran Park was a historic one in many ways. After the summer departure of management team Matt Barnes and Sean Cookson, alongside essentially 90% of the active squad from 2021/22, new gaffers Lee O’Brien and James Hampson had quite a job on their hands to build on, off the back of Heys’ first ever season in the NWCFL Prem.
They passed that test with more than flying colours, sitting comfortably in the upper-mid table area by the time the season came to an end. Speaking to Hampson about this accomplishment, he said that “it's been an eye opener for me and OB (Lee O’Brien) since we took charge last year. There was a big exodus of players, and it left us with basically 3 men and a dog. And yet we managed to assemble a team which finished 7th. We were really happy overall, but we were left wondering ‘what if?’ a little bit”.
Their work in the league wasn’t their only achievement either, as Heys also finished the season with some silverware after defeating NWCFL First Division North side Atherton LR in the final of the Bolton Hospital Cup. “It's always nice to finish the season with some silverware. We took the competition seriously, and, as favourites, our aim was to win it. It was my daughter's birthday, and it also became my final game (as a player-coach), so it was a special game all around for me, the club, and the fans”.
This cup final victory was certainly a highlight from the season just gone, but there were still some choppy waters to wade through as Lee and James guided the club to their highest-ever finish in the EFL system. To hear James tell it, the key was “sticking together - that's what it all came down to! We had a bit of an up and down season - we were kicked out of the Vase after beating favourites Whitby; we lost a talisman to Avro; and centre half to Lancaster. But still, we had some big results and great performances both home and away”.
With all of this first-season success now in the rear-view mirror, Heys have been looking forwards to the 2023/24 campaign, where they will be a part of a 24-team NWCFL Premier Division. Like most sides around them, they’ve set up a number of pre-season friendlies for the summer, including against high-league opponents like Atherton Collieries and Radcliffe.
On top of that, they’ve also managed to get a couple of key players from the 2022/23 season to commit to the club with more than just word of mouth. During the back end of 2021/22, Heys, for the first time ever, were able to put players under year-long contracts, and this is a habit that Lee and James have built on now that the 2022/23 season has concluded. Last season’s Players’ Player of the Season Jacob Ngoy and promising youngster Regan Brown have both penned their short-term futures to the M45 side.
In James’ words, “the season never really finishes for managers. We've had numerous meetings and conversations with the club, for things both on and off the field. Me, OB and the coaching staff have got together to sort out what's happening next season to try and get the foundations in place early so we can hit the ground running. We've also spoken to a few players to try and bolster the squad, bring in some competition for positions and improve on what we already have”.
By the time late July rolls around and the NWCFL season is back underway, the club are also prepared what a challenge they might face if they wish to fare even better than they last season. “Of course, we're looking to improve on last season. We know how difficult the league will be, given that Bury FC have been flexing their muscles, there are some well-known teams coming down from the league above and there’s also some strong teams that have been promoted. We'll be looking at playing Saturday/Tuesday for the next 33 weeks, plus cup games. It's going to be a slog, so we need a big squad who are all pulling their weight together.”
The off-season is a crucial time for teams at this level, and last summer it was a time of significant change at Prestwich Heys. After such a strong opening chapter in the era of Lee O’Brien and James Hampson, and with it being unlikely at this time to see a slew of departures in the same way they did last year, the 2022/23 campaign could act as a stepping stone for the side from the Adie Moran Park to move further towards the top as we get closer and closer to the start of a packed Premier Division season in mid-summer.
