Whitchurch are looking to kick on
Coach Scott Sturdy has challenged his Whitchurch side to on last season’s impressive return to Midland 1 West, and do it with home-grown talent, writes Adam Dickinson.
Whitchurch finished fourth in the standings last term following promotion, recording 19 wins from 26 games, and a huge 19 points clear of fifth-placed Stoke.
And after an off-season of stability on and off the pitch, Sturdy has set short term and long term goals for the season, most immediately to improve on last season’s finish and make the play-offs.
The club were 11 points off third-placed Newbold and a further one off second place, and having recorded two losses against Newbold, will feel it’s a fixture to make up ground on.
Within the club Sturdy aims to bring through more home-grown players, with four making the transition from colts before the season kicks off.
One to watch from that group is back-row Nathan Horton, who captained the colts last season while also making his senior debut. The club have kept all of last season’s 34-man squad while also retaining the coaching set-up with head coach Sturdy supported by Noel Speed (backs and attack coach) with Max Pridmore in charge of the colts and Lucy Mitford as physio.
Sturdy’s men face a tough start tomorrow, away to a Dudley Kingswinford side that lost in the play-offs at the end of last season.
