Relegation Woes – A 2025/26 Review

Having secured promotion to the NCEL Premier Division, step five football was the next focus for the club.
 
Numerous players were signed to bolster and hopefully improve the squad. Amongst them was keeper Sebastian Malkowski joined permanently from Worksop Town, forward Alex Peterson joined from Bridlington and Morgan James returned for a second spell from Wakefield.
 
Pre-season proved difficult with dry weather conditions and players coming and going to training and friendlies due to holidays. It meant the opening game of the season at Thackley saw a disjointed team taking the field. Last season’s top scorer, Jordan Kershaw, had a first half penalty saved and a single goal consigned the team to their first ever opening day defeat.
 
An appearance in the prestigious FA Cup had been a long term target back in 2018, but the 2025/26 season saw it become a reality. Their first opponents – fellow promotion rivals from the previous season in Horbury Town. A draw took the game back to the Recreation Ground where The Wellers netted three times without reply. Another win, 2-1 against Parkgate, took the team to the First Round Qualifying and a match against Stocksbridge Park Steels. A crowd of 437 saw Ollie Fearon score, but it wasn’t enough as the side bowed out to a 3-1 scoreline. The biggest part of the run was the coverage by BBC Breakfast, which saw many from the club given a reward for their hard work.
 
The 9th September saw a 4-2 home win over Bottesford Town and little did the club realise that this was to be their final league win of the season. Some of the new signings such as Peterson, Brad Grayson, Callum Brooks, and Josh McKay had already left and in the next month seven more players left.
 
The trip to Winsford Untied in the FA Vase saw an early exit from the competition and the final appearance of Malkowski who picked up a season long injury while also picking up a red card in the final minute from the injury inducing tackle.
 
A final win of the season came in the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Cup at Athersley Recreation in late October, but the following months saw even more players come and go, including centre back partners Jack Steers and captain Jack Dando.
From November 1st the team picked up just four league points and went 31 games without victory and relegation from Step Five was inevitable.
 
The season that began with so much optimism and joy instead became a record of painful memories and statistics, including a player turnover that eventually saw 71 difference names etched onto the team sheets.
 
What does the future hold? Back to step six – which may be where the club belongs, at least for now. A lesson learned from the experience. A fresh squad of players to unite in the next pre-season. And finally, renewed enthusiasm.

Jordan Kershaw celebrates scoring against Parkgate in the FA Cup.

Eddie Agnew is congratulated by Danny Youel.

The team celebrates Jack Wilson's (4) goal against Horbury in the game that saw them pick up their final point of the season.

How the team started

How the team finished

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