73 days elapsed between our season coming to an end in the playoffs at Brackley Town and Fixture Release Day. In the life of a non-league football fan, the passage of time can move in mysterious ways, and the close season often feels like an endless tranche of time in anticipation.
Where exactly will the next eight months of our lives play out? We wait nearly all summer for the random, faceless fixture generator to dictate. Family holidays, plans and events, they all hinge, and are put on hold, until we finally have our football calendar populated. As Chorley fans, the wait is agonising to see whether we will be donning our Santa hats and making the 240-mile journey to Needham Market on Boxing Day.
With bated breath and from behind the sofa, 1pm on July 10th came. We could breathe freely again, both away fixtures at Spennymoor Town and Needham Market had been allocated for nondescript Saturdays in October and March respectively. What’s more, we could even plan for a lie in following the excess of Christmas day and leave the car on the drive, as Chorley entertain Radcliffe at Victory Park twenty-four hours later.
Even our ceremonial curtain raiser against Brackley Town that we have become accustomed to recently had been uprooted for the new campaign. Instead – and for the first time since 2002 – we began where our regular season came to a close in 2023-24, at Lincoln Road, home of Peterborough Sports.
On a hot and sticky afternoon, four new signings made their competitive debut in the starting eleven: Tom Carr, Kole Hall, Craig Hewitt and George Horbury. The trio of Sam Bird, Warren Clarke and Mo Touray came off the bench to make theirs, with the latter grabbing the only goal of the game from the penalty spot.
It was a game desperately short on clear-cut chances, with neither side managing to take the initiative on a playing surface that was dry and long, sapping the life out of proceedings. A string of corners by the hosts in the second period camped the Magpies in their own box for a sustained period, but Matty rarely looked threatened. The game was always going to be decided by the odd goal – if at all – and so it proved.
Having advanced forward for a freekick on the left, Ellis found himself bundled over in the box. In Sampson’s absence, Touray showed why he netted two penalties from two in pre-season, continuing a perfect strike-rate from his time with Warrington Rylands where he scored all seven of the penalties he took last season. With twelve minutes left, it was a pressure penalty, but he comfortably stepped forward to find Peter Crook’s opposite corner, kick-starting both Chorley’s and his own season in the process.
Despite the lack of entertainment on offer overall, the Magpies acquitted themselves well, and on paper the result is a fantastic one to open the campaign, leading us into today’s visit of Hereford.
In April, the Bulls played their part in a playoff picture that went right to the final day again, three points at home to Boston United would have given them an outside chance of making the final cut but their visitors had other ideas. A 0-2 defeat at Edgar Street meant Hereford finished the 2023-24 season with 69 points, the Pilgrims on the other hand advanced through the playoffs to take their place in the National League.
For Paul Caddis, eleventh place was certainly an improvement on sixteenth place in 2022-23, and for his first season in charge most assessments of the campaign gave the new manager a ringing endorsement. Caddis seemed to be building a strong and competitive side, renewing hope amongst the fanbase.
Yet, as close season predictions go, not many social media pundits have scored Hereford’s hopes too high, still less have predicted them as title-challengers. This could be a mistake. Paul Caddis seems to have astutely added to his squad again, and their opening day dismantling of another side tipped to go well this season, South Shields, perhaps gave some pundits pause for thought.
Arguably, there was an element of wastefulness from South Shields in that game, but what can be gleaned from a short highlights package was resolute defending and a free-flowing attacking threat on show from the home side.
It seems obvious to pick the three players who scored for Hereford on the opening day but, should they play, Montel Gibson, Andy Williams, and Yusifu Ceesay are ones to watch. Having signed on from AFC Telford United, Montel Gibson’s debut goal was the product of a bad defensive mistake from South Shields. That said, Gibson has a decent strike rate in non-league and his capture for the new campaign seems a good bit of business.
The return to his hometown club for Andy Williams was much heralded for 2023-24, but a knee injury in pre-season required surgery and a five-month layoff. His first goals since re-signing came in a brace on Boxing Day and he managed 11 in total to end the campaign. Hereford will be hoping there’s more to come this season, his wily poacher’s finish last weekend was a product of nearly two decades in professional football at the age of 37.
In Paul Caddis’ post-match comments from the opening matchday, it appears Yusifu Ceesay was looking for a move abroad, yet has remained with the Bulls and seems to have a good understanding with the manager. A mobile wide player, he poses a distinct attacking threat out wide. Last weekend he found himself filling in the centre-forward role on the counter-attack and took his finish well.
In Preece’s post-match comments, he was full of praise for today’s visitors, and if our opening game felt a bit testimonial, the Magpies will surely be in for a true test of their credentials this afternoon. Out of the new crop of players that made the trip to Peterborough, only Jack Rice went without minutes and may perhaps feature today. Jack Sampson still has three games of his suspension to serve, and Adam Henley took a knock in the first half and was replaced in the second, hopefully more as a precaution and for rest than anything else.
Returning to Victory Park this weekend, it won’t just be some of the faces in the first team squad that’s new. Our home has undergone the biggest facelift in living memory. We say goodbye to the grass bank – well, half of it – and cosmetically, the difference will be noticeable for anyone who has had an extended break in the close season. A big crowd is expected, and hopefully the game will inspire, see you there.
Martin Ramsbotham.
Available at the ground today is our popular Golden Goals and 50/50 half time draw. We will also have Magpie Review for sale from Trust HQ for just £3 per copy.
