So Far So Good At Bacup Borough
Tue 23rd August 2011 | Bacup Borough | By Ian Templeman
Despite a traumatic close season, and mixed results in the opening games, Bacup Borough manager Brent Peters is satisfied the way his side is shaping up so far.
In the games they have played up to now, the quality of football served up by Bacup has caught the eye of many, and has met with the approval of their hard to please manager. However, for a period of time during the close season, football was the last thing on Brent's mind.
As many will be aware, Brent's father Ken passed away on the 15th June, which meant that his planned summer schedule was put to one side for a while, and he admits it was a difficult time for him.
Like everyone who loses someone close to them I have been hit hard. My father throughout my life has been nothing but supportive to me in everything I have done and everything I have achieved. It goes without saying now that my mother's welfare is of paramount importance to me, and it meant that for the first time during my tenure at Bacup Borough, I was not able to carry out the many tasks that would have been my ritual at that time of year.
The backroom team at Bacup did a tremendous job in getting the facilities at the ground ready, and on the playing side, for the first few weeks of pre-season I was nowhere to be seen. But again I knew I had top people in Andy Hill and Jimmy Petruzzi which picked up the baton and ran with it.”
One pre-season plan which Brent was able to implement was a trip to an Army camp, where Army personnel put the Bacup players through their paces on what was a hot and sultry day. However, the trip came as a bit of a shock to the players, as Brent explained.
It was an excellent workout and brilliant for team bonding, but it was not easy getting the lads together on this. In order for it to happen, I had to tell a little white lie by saying we were playing the British Army team at football and then we were going out on a jolly boys outing.
I didn't tell them even the town or city we were going to travel to play the game, made them believe we were travelling by train and instructed them to meet at Ramsbottom Station. It was so funny on the day. The Army lads instructed us to tell our lads only to bring a T shirt, shorts and running shoes, but I needed their kit in order to throw the lads off the scent.
When we arrived at Ramsbottom Station, all the lads and Gaby our physio were stood outside with shorts, sunglasses and flip flops, reminiscent of what you'd see on Benidorm Beach. Butch (Matthew Wrigley) had a suitcase with him like he was going away for a week. The lads were then told to follow me, and off we went to the nearby Holcombe Moor Training camp where they were confronted by one of the senior Army officers who told them their procedure for the weekend.
Well, Andy and me were sat at the back of them all and let me tell you, their faces were a picture when their mobile phones were taken from them, they were told they would be sleeping literally under the stars, they had to get into Army uniforms and had to work very hard.
But despite all of this they really enjoyed the experience and the majority would really like to do it again. The training, different to say the least, did the lads no harm at all, and like everything else we do, it did have a means to an end and certainly served its purpose.”
Aside of building up the squad's fitness, Brent is happy with the quality of football his side have served up this season, and says he has drawn his inspiration from the top echelons of the game.
Both Andy and myself have studied two teams very closely – Barcelona and Manchester United. Their style is much the same, get the ball down, pass and move. In order for this to be a success, any team must have players who are comfortable receiving and passing the ball.
At Bacup we have these types of players in abundance, and we have decided to work with the lads on team shape with the emphasis on the attributes of Barcelona and Manchester United. United's second goal in the Charity Shield was sheer quality, with passing and movement and a quality finish at the end, something the Manchester City just could not cope with.
I say to our players that football is the same game at any level, and after we won at Congleton on the opening day of the season, I was pleased to receive a text from David Esdaile, father of Laquain Esdaile who played for Congleton on the day. David is a former professional footballer, and he texted me to say that he thought our passing, energy and movement were top class and will get better as the season progresses.”
An opening day win at Congleton was followed up by another win at home to Maine Road, before an eye catching 6-1 defeat was handed out by Runcorn Town on their first ever visit to the Brian Boys Stadium. Brent made a number of personnel changes for the game, but says it was done with an eye on forthcoming fixtures.
It was always our plan to rotate the squad taking several situations into consideration, and with two big games following, at Barnoldswick on Tuesday and AFC Blackpool in the FA Cup on the following Saturday, it was with our best intentions that we made these changes. It was nothing to do with underestimating Runcorn Town.
In adversity this must be followed with a positive, and we looked a good well organised side against another good side in Barnoldswick, although after me tinkering with the line up, I most certainly would have been on a guilt trip had we lost. Thankfully that didn't happen.”
Last Saturday, a second successive home defeat was inflicted on Brent's men, this time by AFC Blackpool, although again Brent says there were positives to take from the game.
I do not want to take anything away from AFC Blackpool, but we gifted them three opportunities from which they scored. Any team that hands the opposition goals like we did in this game most certainly do not deserve to win, so we got what we deserved, nothing and no prize money.
But apart from the obvious bad decisions our players made, we actually played very well and taking away human error, we should never have lost that game.
With a new team and a new system there will be some teething problems, but we as a management team will be patient and encourage the players to play the way we want them to play, and all being well, we will get the results our performances deserve.”
The Bacup "boot camp brigade" are pictured below.
So Far So Good At Bacup Borough
Tue 23rd August 2011 | Bacup Borough
By Ian Templeman
Despite a traumatic close season, and mixed results in the opening games, Bacup Borough manager Brent Peters is satisfied the way his side is shaping up so far.
In the games they have played up to now, the quality of football served up by Bacup has caught the eye of many, and has met with the approval of their hard to please manager. However, for a period of time during the close season, football was the last thing on Brent's mind.
As many will be aware, Brent's father Ken passed away on the 15th June, which meant that his planned summer schedule was put to one side for a while, and he admits it was a difficult time for him.
Like everyone who loses someone close to them I have been hit hard. My father throughout my life has been nothing but supportive to me in everything I have done and everything I have achieved. It goes without saying now that my mother's welfare is of paramount importance to me, and it meant that for the first time during my tenure at Bacup Borough, I was not able to carry out the many tasks that would have been my ritual at that time of year.
The backroom team at Bacup did a tremendous job in getting the facilities at the ground ready, and on the playing side, for the first few weeks of pre-season I was nowhere to be seen. But again I knew I had top people in Andy Hill and Jimmy Petruzzi which picked up the baton and ran with it.”
One pre-season plan which Brent was able to implement was a trip to an Army camp, where Army personnel put the Bacup players through their paces on what was a hot and sultry day. However, the trip came as a bit of a shock to the players, as Brent explained.
It was an excellent workout and brilliant for team bonding, but it was not easy getting the lads together on this. In order for it to happen, I had to tell a little white lie by saying we were playing the British Army team at football and then we were going out on a jolly boys outing.
I didn't tell them even the town or city we were going to travel to play the game, made them believe we were travelling by train and instructed them to meet at Ramsbottom Station. It was so funny on the day. The Army lads instructed us to tell our lads only to bring a T shirt, shorts and running shoes, but I needed their kit in order to throw the lads off the scent.
When we arrived at Ramsbottom Station, all the lads and Gaby our physio were stood outside with shorts, sunglasses and flip flops, reminiscent of what you'd see on Benidorm Beach. Butch (Matthew Wrigley) had a suitcase with him like he was going away for a week. The lads were then told to follow me, and off we went to the nearby Holcombe Moor Training camp where they were confronted by one of the senior Army officers who told them their procedure for the weekend.
Well, Andy and me were sat at the back of them all and let me tell you, their faces were a picture when their mobile phones were taken from them, they were told they would be sleeping literally under the stars, they had to get into Army uniforms and had to work very hard.
But despite all of this they really enjoyed the experience and the majority would really like to do it again. The training, different to say the least, did the lads no harm at all, and like everything else we do, it did have a means to an end and certainly served its purpose.”
Aside of building up the squad's fitness, Brent is happy with the quality of football his side have served up this season, and says he has drawn his inspiration from the top echelons of the game.
Both Andy and myself have studied two teams very closely – Barcelona and Manchester United. Their style is much the same, get the ball down, pass and move. In order for this to be a success, any team must have players who are comfortable receiving and passing the ball.
At Bacup we have these types of players in abundance, and we have decided to work with the lads on team shape with the emphasis on the attributes of Barcelona and Manchester United. United's second goal in the Charity Shield was sheer quality, with passing and movement and a quality finish at the end, something the Manchester City just could not cope with.
I say to our players that football is the same game at any level, and after we won at Congleton on the opening day of the season, I was pleased to receive a text from David Esdaile, father of Laquain Esdaile who played for Congleton on the day. David is a former professional footballer, and he texted me to say that he thought our passing, energy and movement were top class and will get better as the season progresses.”
An opening day win at Congleton was followed up by another win at home to Maine Road, before an eye catching 6-1 defeat was handed out by Runcorn Town on their first ever visit to the Brian Boys Stadium. Brent made a number of personnel changes for the game, but says it was done with an eye on forthcoming fixtures.
It was always our plan to rotate the squad taking several situations into consideration, and with two big games following, at Barnoldswick on Tuesday and AFC Blackpool in the FA Cup on the following Saturday, it was with our best intentions that we made these changes. It was nothing to do with underestimating Runcorn Town.
In adversity this must be followed with a positive, and we looked a good well organised side against another good side in Barnoldswick, although after me tinkering with the line up, I most certainly would have been on a guilt trip had we lost. Thankfully that didn't happen.”
Last Saturday, a second successive home defeat was inflicted on Brent's men, this time by AFC Blackpool, although again Brent says there were positives to take from the game.
I do not want to take anything away from AFC Blackpool, but we gifted them three opportunities from which they scored. Any team that hands the opposition goals like we did in this game most certainly do not deserve to win, so we got what we deserved, nothing and no prize money.
But apart from the obvious bad decisions our players made, we actually played very well and taking away human error, we should never have lost that game.
With a new team and a new system there will be some teething problems, but we as a management team will be patient and encourage the players to play the way we want them to play, and all being well, we will get the results our performances deserve.”
The Bacup "boot camp brigade" are pictured below.
