Shropshire Star

Drayton boys are forming a quick bond

Market Drayton Town boss Richard Brown is hoping the buzz in the dressing room will help lead to better days on the pitch this season.

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Brown has been busy overhauling his squad for the forthcoming Northern Premier League Division One West campaign and was keen to generate a good spirit within his ranks.

And the boss, who is embarking on his first full season at Greenfields, has been pleased with what he has seen and heard from his players.

On the pitch, the pre-season programme has gone well so far with Saturday’s 2-1 success at Sandbach making it five wins from six outings, with their only loss being a 1-0 reverse at home to AFC Telford United.

While off the pitch, Brown has been encouraged by the way his new players have settled in and by the early signs of togetherness.

“I am looking forward to the season,” said Brown, who took charge last October following the departure of Dan Stevens,

“I came in last season and there were a few players who took the mickey a little bit.

“I didn’t want that this year. I have told the lads that all I want them to do is go out on the pitch with a smile on their faces and enjoy their football.

“Because the minute you head starts to go down and you are not enjoying it, that’s when things start to go wrong.

“Yes, we are all going to make mistakes, I am going to make mistakes throughout the season, but as long as we live and learn from our mistakes things will happen and get better.

“We lost 1-0 to Telford but the lads were absolutely buzzing in the dressing room. It’s completely different in that dressing room.

"There are lads that have only been here for a couple of games and they think it’s brilliant.

“There are no cliques and no big-time Charlies. They are just a great bunch of lads who are sticking together and working hard together.”

Brown has been working hard to bring in new signings and freshen up his squad, using his Black Country links to entice players to Shropshire.

He admits it’s still a battle trying to get players to travel but he is still hoping to entice a few more and is prepared to wait until the early part of next season to do more business.

“We have kept seven or eight from last season but the majority of the lads are ones I have been able to tap into my connections at Rushall and AFC Wulfrunians,” said Brown.

“They have all played at step five and have the ability to step up. I have given then the opportunity and so far they haven’t disappointed.

“The hardest thing for me is trying to get players over here. When you start speaking to players lower down they just say it’s too far.

“I say look you have the opportunity to play at step four, why is it too far to travel?

“It baffles me at times but you have just got to keep moving on and I think three or four weeks into the season you will see players becoming available because they are not getting into other teams.”