Worksop Town manager Craig Parry says watching side another lift title was the spark for this season's glory

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Worksop Town manager Craig Parry explained that the catalyst for the Tigers’ title-winning success this season started on the final game of the previous campaign.

Slumped in the home dugout staring across the Windsor Foodservice Stadium pitch, the eyes of the Tigers boss were locked on members of the Liversedge squad and staff lifting the Pitching In Northern Premier League East Division title.

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With fire in his eyes, Parry exclaimed in that particular interview: “It does hurt having someone win a Championship here on your own ground, but we have to take it as a positive and say, in 12 months that’s got to be us, and that’s the sort of side that I guarantee will be here next year.”

And how did that pan out? Well, after one point from their opening two games, no one would have predicted that the Tigers would go on to win their next 19 league matches – breaking the NPL record of 15 and the club’s record of 18 – and go unbeaten across 34 games to break Boston United’s 50-year-old NPL record of 32.

Craig Parry celebrates title glory with his players. Photo by Lewis PickersgillCraig Parry celebrates title glory with his players. Photo by Lewis Pickersgill
Craig Parry celebrates title glory with his players. Photo by Lewis Pickersgill

This was some retaliation from that afternoon to lift that same trophy just under a year later.

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“I sat there by myself before the interview, and I was very emotional,” said Parry.

“Looking back as a management team, we have been quite successful in our careers, so to see another team celebrate on your own patch is not nice at all.

“I made a pact with myself that day that it will never happen again, and I was so determined and that was when our season started, at that moment seeing that.

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“I had to make some strong decisions and we worked hard during pre-season to get what is an unbelievable squad.

“On the first day of pre-season, we had the whiteboard out and on the top of it was just the word 'winners'. Everyone was in the room: the chairman, players, committee members, cooks, cleaners, everyone was there.

“There was one objective and it had to come from me – finishing second-best or in the play-offs was not good enough for me and winning was the only success and the number one priority.

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“From that day on, all the things put in place and the work in pre-season ensured that we would finish number one and nothing else was good enough, and that’s been our only aim.

“The togetherness they have is a special bond and I am really proud of every single one of them. I have mentioned a lot of family men in there and I am proud of them and their loved ones.”

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