Several Stratford Town players start putting pen to paper for the 2022-23 Southern Premier Central campaign
CAPTAIN Will Grocott and goalkeeper Liam O’Brien are among a number of players that have signed contracts to remain at Stratford Town for next season.
The Bards may have concluded their Southern Premier Central campaign with a 1-1 draw at Bromsgrove Sporting on Easter Monday, but plans for 2022-23 are already under way,
Chairman Jed McCrory is wasting no time in tying down the players he wants to keep for next season and it comes as no surprise that midfield maestro Grocott was one of the first to put pen to paper.
“It only took one meeting with Jed,” said the Stratford captain. “I always wanted to stay because I just love the club. I’ve been here for six seasons and played over 200 games.
“What I want now is a season where we give it a good go. This club is moving forwards in so many places and it now needs the first team to get promoted. That will be the target for next season.”
When asked if the history-making FA Cup run had an impact on a mediocre league campaign, Grocott said: “It was an amazing run and one we’ll never forget, but it’s weird how it always seems to affect your league season.
“It happened when I was at Stourbridge. We got really far and then just fell apart in the league. Great teams don’t do that, so it’s disappointing how the league panned out at Stratford, but we want to give it a good go next season. I’m sure the majority of the lads will be staying and hopefully we can add some real quality so we can give promotion a shot.”
Herald, manager’s and players’ player of the season O’Brien echoed Grocott’s sentiments that next season should be about gaining promotion to step two on the non-league ladder.
“The league has to be the goal,” he said. “The target at the start of the season just finished was to get promoted, but it was great to have the FA Cup run. I do think it became a distraction from the league and before we knew it, we had played a lot of games.
“To try and get promoted after you’ve played so many games becomes tough for such a small squad. I think next year our goal, hopefully, will be to have a bigger squad so we can rotate a little and kick on to be the best team in the league.”
It’s no secret that former Coventry City and Portsmouth shot-stopper O’Brien was basically retired from football before he joined the Bards. Since joining, O’Brien has always been grateful for the support shown from McCrory and felt he owed it to the Bards chief to stay at the Arden Garages Stadium.
“I love it here. I have enjoyed every minute of this season,” he added. “I came in at the start of the season and loved it from the off. I feel like I owe Jed and this club for getting me back into football.
“It was no secret that I was retired before I had that phone call from Jed last summer, but I feel like being at Stratford has re-lit my career at 30 and I owed it to him to stay another season.”
Also signing contracts for next season are striker Jack Storer, winger Will Dawes, midfielder Dan Lafferty, and defenders Jack Turner and Dan Vann.
Playmaker Ashley Sammons and highly-rated Paul Field have also been offered terms, but McCrory is waiting for them to put pen to paper.
