News

Manager Frank Northwood’s pledge to bring young, local talent into the club has seen an influx of new faces – on and off the field.

Mal Campion has crossed the Trent from Burton Albion to become reserve team boss, assisted by Newhall-based Steve Murphy.

And the club has resurrected its youth side, bringing in Alan Titterton from Willington and assistant Dick West to try and attract the cream of the area’s youngsters to Banks’s League soccer.

It is no coincidence that, this season, the Banks’s League will include a youth division for the first time. The division will consist of 10 sides, with games played on Wednesday evenings.

And Titterton – who watched two of his young hopefuls perform in the first team friendly against Lichfield – says Gresley’s side is already taking shape.

“We’ve signed 15 players and we’re trying to arrange a couple of prestige friendlies before the season starts, hopefully against Wolves and Leicester. The side has been sponsored by Fisher’s the Swadlincote solicitors.”

Titterton, previously in charge of junior sides at the Littleover Dazzlers club, is guarded in his predictions for the forthcoming campaign.

“We’ve signed some good lads, but we’ll have to wait and see how we get on. Frank Northwood has been very encouraging and the club haven’t wanted anything from me.

“The idea is to feed the reserves and first team. We’re obviously not going out to win every game. A lot of the lads I’ve got are still young enough to have two seasons of youth football ahead of them.”

Names to watch include 16-year-old keeper Lee Rippon, who was with Mansfield Town last season, and Robert Insley, 17, another keeper who has had a spell at Leicester City.

Titterton also rates Stuart Watson, from Newhall, and Alan McAra, from Kilburn, as prospects along with front-runner Damian Whyatt from Measham and Marcus Bowler, son of former Gresley and Newhall United stalwart Steve, and Darren Smith who both featured against Lichfield.