Worksop Town boss proud to have club 'back where it needs to be'

Having already secured two promotions with the Tigers as well as overseeing an unsuccessful tilt at the NPL Premier Division play-offs 12 months earlier, this time Parry oversaw a 2-1 home win over Guiseley in the play-off final to get the club back to step two of the pyramid for the first time since relegation in 2007 and the subsequent fall down the divisions caused by well-documented financial difficulties.

And with the final itself having huge question marks over who Worksop would play right up until 24 hours before the game itself due to original finalists Stockton Town having fielded an ineligible player, Parry was all the more relieved to have sealed promotion.

He said: “The issues around who we’d play were a distraction because we literally had to train to face two different sides – two hours for one, then two hours for the other – whereas our opposition knew they’d be facing us.

"But the aim was the same – to win the game – and it was a huge emotional relief to do so. It had been draining such was the pressure and expectation on us, but on a personal level I really wanted to bring success back to the club and take it back to where it was. So it was a mix of joy and relief but also satisfaction to see the fans and players celebrating with their families afterwards.”

It all meant the National League North would await as Worksop went up with runaway champions Macclesfield, who ironically will be the Tigers’ first opponents in Cheshire on August 9.

Parry, his staff and the club’s hierarchy have therefore been busy working out just what will be required for the Tigers to at the very least hold their own and survive at step two, with recruitment as always being the biggest challenge so far.

He said: “The first thing we identified was that we’d need a bigger squad this year. It’s a much tougher challenge so rotation will be key.

"We wanted to retain all of the players from last season as they’d earned promotion and deserved the opportunity to play at the higher level.

"But we also made some early signings and although recruitment isn’t done yet, we have to bring in players who are going to be right for us.

"We’re going into a league where we won’t be among the strongest financially so we’ve had to be patient in terms of which players are attainable, but we ran with 16-18 players last year to keep a small but competitive squad which was also close-knit, whereas this year I think we’ll need 20-22 and ensure players selected are up to the maximum levels in terms of fitness.

"Obviously it’s strange that we got Macclesfield first and it’ll be a tough month to start with overall, but you’ve got to be in it to win it and it doesn’t matter when you play everyone.”

As with any promoted side, finishing outside the relegation z is the baseline target for Worksop next season. Those expectations might change as the games go by, but Parry and his players are aiming to be as prepared as possible for what will face them.

He said: “We have to be level-headed and realistic. We need to settle into the league first and then look at expectations. That level has got a lot stronger since Worksop were last there and I’d argue it’s now the strongest it’s ever been – I can’t pick out a weak side.

"So it’s about us getting comfortable, being competitive and then reassessing as we go along.”

Pre-season has been the usual mix of targeting fitness with performance and tactical knowledge, with Parry keen to work his squad hard.

He added: “It’s been tough and we wanted to get the players back early and had lots of early games against strong sides. It was about fitness above all first but in the latter games we’re working more on the tactical side of things.

"I think about half of the National League North sides are full time now so we know that fitness will be a key factor.”