Joint Manager Craig Collins recently sat down with Daniel Smeaton to discuss his thoughts on taking the role, pre-season so far and the upcoming 2023-2024 season in the Northern Counties East League.

For those that don't know much about you, what experience do you have in football?
Working full time within professional football I'm constantly learning from professional coaches. I live and breathe football. I have recently completed my UEFA B and this has really challenged my coaching and honed in on my own style of play and philosophy.

Predominantly working with U19's men’s football and open age women’s football shows I have a well-rounded background in the sport.

I believe we have built a group of staff that between us can support the players and develop them both individually and as a collective group with some success along the way.

And what was it about Ollerton that inspired you to join and take the job?
Having done my research, the club stood out to me as this was a period of transition.

I never shirk away from a challenge and I think that’s what drew me to the club. Once in the building, you could see the passion the committee has for the club.

They have been brilliant in terms of listening to our suggestions and really picking this club up and moving forward together.

What has caught your eye in the first few games of pre-season?
I think the big thing is, starting with nothing, and slowly seeing it develop. From the first training session to the first pre-season game to now, you can see the progress and what we are trying to build.

The players we have recruited all have the same ethos and are really buying into what we are trying to do. They are starting to develop strong bonds both on the pitch and off it not just with each other but with the staff as well.

Have you been impressed with the support so far?
Absolutely and I think the support has grown further then ever before with the staff and players coming from across the region. I would imagine there will be quite a lot of new supporters through the gates with a keen interest for the team.

Along with giving the local community a club to be proud of, hopefully we can give the fans some success to celebrate!

Has there been any stand-out players so far?
I think it's still too early yet to single out any individuals out for praise but what I will say is, as a collective group, they are a pleasure to work with. They want to listen, to be coached and given guidance. This is really refreshing as a coaching team, when you are trying to get your ideas on to the pitch.

What is your style of play? What can people expect to see from the team this season?
With myself and Tom coming from professional academy backgrounds, we want our team to get the ball down and play. And that’s what we are going to do, its going to be possession-based football with a purpose.

That’s the key bit, you have to have a purpose when your team has the ball and that’s got to be to put it in the back of the net.

Some teams will be more direct and we will be well drilled to deal with that and others might match up to us. Either way we will be equally ready for the challenge.

What are your objectives for the season ahead?
When we sat down with the committee we really wanted to align ourselves. We brought up what success would look like to us and that matched what they were looking for.

After such a period of turbulence at the club, we are looking to steady the ship. Its going to be a long and competitive season which we as staff and the team are up for!

Do you have any overall aims for the team?
I think this again relates back to the previous question. After such a rollercoaster, and a drama filled season, this has to be more stable which is first and foremost. Then from there we can hopefully build and push on.

To end, is there anything else you would like to add?
I would like to thank the committee for the opportunity to lead the team in this new era. We aim to do the club and town proud by building something that everyone can really get behind.