Ashton Town manager John Brownrigg is upbeat about his squad’s prospects for the season, after a promising start in both league and cup competitions.

The team’s form is all the more impressive given that John had to build a squad from scratch after being appointed in the summer. But it was a challenge that he was more than ready to meet, and with ten years’ experience in the NWCFL with Skelmersdale United and spending the last five years at West Cheshire League side Maghull working firstly with the reserves and then the first team, he was able to draw on plenty of experience and contacts to get a squad together.

“I was fortunate to have a good team already at Maghull, so most of them decided to come with me”, said John. “But really I had to adopt a bit of a scatter gun approach and get as many in as I could for the start of the season, because I had absolutely no one left. All the players from last season had left the club.

“I started off with a nucleus of players I did know, and built around them with the others I had only begun working with. As well as quite a few in from Maghull, I brought in players from other teams in the West Cheshire League, and some young lads who wanted to have the chance to play at this level.

“So although there were players I brought in that I knew, there was quite a few I didn’t know, so I had to make sure I had plenty of options. But I didn’t have any doubts about their ability to compete at this level.

“Everyone at the club now is a new player, and that’s not just the first team, it’s the reserve team and youth teams as well so we have three brand new teams. They are all learning their trade, they are good honest lads who work hard. A lot of them are only 21 and younger, so they will learn and will keep progressing.

“I have a good bunch of lads now, many of whom have turned down good money elsewhere to come and play for me. They are a good bunch, who are all mates, we’ve got a good atmosphere in the group and we are all here enjoying ourselves”.

Although John is happy with the way his new squad has quickly settled down, he is aware that some have noticed the difference in standard between the NWCFL and leagues they have played in previously.

“One thing that we have found is that there are no easy games in this league, and that is something that the lads I brought with me from Maghull last season are finding out. In some games they were used to just turning up and winning, but in this league teams are fitter and more physical and that has meant our lads have had to adapt.

“Off the field as well there is a little bit more travelling so they have got to show a bit more commitment than they did before. But they have all been loyal to me in the past so I’ve been loyal to them and have given them a chance back to play at this level.

“But we have played mostly teams in the top half of the table, and we’ve not really played many teams near the bottom, so to be where we are in the table is a decent start. Darwen in the first game of the season gave us a hard game, Nelson are a good side, and Cheadle gave us a tough game as well.

“But on what I’ve seen so far, we are capable of beating anyone. There is no pressure on us, and there is no one we are afraid of in this league. We go out and attack every team home and away and see where that takes us”.

Looking ahead, John has no fixed targets in mind for this season, but is confident that his side will make an impact in Division One this season.

“I am one of those people who just sets out to win every game, simple as that, and see where that takes us. We just play our own game, go into every game looking to win and see what happens.

“This club hasn’t done very well in recent years, they finished bottom of the league last year, but as far as I am concerned those days have gone, I’m here to win things. They haven’t won a trophy for 42 years and that has got to change.

“I won’t be happy until I see us sitting on top of the league but we are progressing and as long as we keep progressing every year ,that is the main thing. But I do expect us to be there or thereabouts at the end of the season”.