Denton: '˜Tigers fans are the best in the league'

That’s the opinion of assistant manager Craig Denton a month following his return to Sandy Lane in mid-December of last year.

Denton revealed he gets a “buzz” knowing there will be a core of Tigers fans that stick with the club through thick and thin.

He said: “When you’ve got three or four hundred Worksop Town fans behind you it really gives you a buzz. The support, no matter where you are in the table, you are going to get your core supporters. They are so passionate about this club.

“If the supporters are seeing that commitment from the players; their passion and desire, I think the Worksop Town supporters will always support the club. There’s great people and for me they are the best in the league.”

Denton first joined the backroom staff in the summer of 2015 under Mark Shaw but left around a year later to take up an assistant manager role with Shirebrook Town of the NCEL.

And he has settled back into life with Worksop.

“I know a lot of the faces from my time at the club before. Everyone’s been really welcoming and it’s nice for me to have the assistant manager title. It gives me chance to implement a bit more than I had done previously.

“Jon Kennedy is a really experienced man in football. When he asked me to join him I snapped it up straight away. It’s nice to see the team try to play and do the right things. We’ve got a real good atmosphere at the minute.

“I’m buzzing about keeping it going. Jon and I have an understanding and on a Saturday I’m on the sideline, managing the game as best as I can. We have a plan in our heads on how we see the games plan out.

“It’s a great experience for me. I was the assistant manager at Shirebrook before joining Worksop so it’s a learning curve for me. I believe you can never stop learning. I want to be on the sidelines helping the team,” said Denton.

Worksop return to NCEL Premier action on Saturday after 12 days off from competitive games, with the visit of Pickering Town to Sandy Lane (January 14, 3pm kick off).

“I think it was nice to get a break over the Christmas period,” he said. “We played Boxing Day and the Monday after New Year’s so I think it was good to get a break. The lads have all got jobs and different careers so it was important to have a break.

“It also gave them a chance to get a few training sessions in which we have done. We’ve been able to train on Saturday for a couple of hours and a couple of new faces have joined in on training. It was good to re-focus and get the lads together.”

Second from top Pickering are on an 11-game unbeaten run but Denton believes Worksop are quietly confident going into clash. Tigers themselves in form, winning four from six in the league since the start of December.

He added: “We understand that Pickering are up there in good form but we’ve got a group of really good players who wear their heart on their sleeves. They’re a determined and loyal lot.

“Pickering will not take us lightly. We’ve strung a few results together and we’ll give it our best shot. The lads want to win every game which is achievable in this league.

“We’ll concentrate on our own game and give them something to think about.”