Stowmarket Town boss Rick Andrews happy with club’s progress
Tom Bradlaugh, left, has been a good signing for Stowmarket - Credit: Archant
Stowmarket Town boss Rick Andrews admits his club is making progress – but he still wants more.
As 2014 comes to an end, Stowmarket sit mid-table in the Thurlow Nunn First Division, Andrews in his second full season at the helm.
Not threatened by a bottom-three finish, the Gold and Blacks know they need to go on quite a run to get into the promotion placings.
It’s a sound position they find themselves in and certainly better than the ones they have found themselves in recent years, as Andrews admits.
“The last couple of seasons haven’t been great and I think it’s fair to say the club certainly felt in the doldrums when I arrived,” he said.
“There was a lot of negativity around – but not now. Are we making progress? Yes, of course we are.
“Are the club happy with the progress? Yes, they are.
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“We are scoring more goals and conceding less but I would like to see more.
“OK, we have been decimated by injuries to key players – Ben Garnham, Sean Rea, Wayne Proctor. I suppose it is no different to a lot of clubs, but it has certainly not helped us.”
Stowmarket’s big Christmas derby at Debenham was called off on Saturday due to a waterlogged pitch with Andrews’ side next in action this weekend when they entertain AFC Sudbury Reserves at Greens Meadow.
With 16 league fixtures to go, the Stowmarket boss would like to finish well.
“It would be nice to finish in the top six,” he admitted.
“I don’t want us to finish the season poorly, I want us to finish well. It sets you up then for the season ahead.
“We have a good group of players and some cracking youngsters coming through. It’s all very positive when you think of some of the good experienced players we also have.
“If we could get in two or three players in the summer, then perhaps we could get over the line and back into the Premier Division.
“By getting into the Premier Division you can attract better players – it’s been a long time since Stowmarket were there.”
Indeed it has.
But there is certainly more positivity around Greens Meadow as the club head into 2015 than there has been for many years.
Perhaps Premier Division football will soon be back at Stowmarket FC.
