The 2011-2012 season may not have been the finest in the history of Glapwell FC but, then again, considering the off-field events that had preceded it, it was never likely to be.

With a new committee installed at the club, as well as a brand new management team and a fresh playing staff, it was a trip into the unexpected for everyone as the club embarked on their first CMFL campaign for 17 years. All the change at the club was never going to lead to immediate on-field success and it was always going to a be a difficult first season, but few would have predicted it to be as tough as it actually turned out.

Over the course of the season, there were far more lows than highs but at times luck deserted Glapwell and they lost games they certainly didn’t deserve to but they also showed, at times, that they could compete with the better sides in the division.

JUNE
So, the club set about building for the new season with the appointment of a new management team. Former Church Warsop and Blidworth manager Keith Easom took over along with ex-Shirebrook boss Graham Charlesworth while Chris Bullock came in to assist them. Open training sessions followed as they looked to build a side that could compete in the league.

JULY
July saw Glapwell set about a new chapter in their history as pre-season got under way with an entertaining 4-3 victory over Rainworth Reserves at Kirklington Road. There was some brilliant football played, by both sides, and there were also some great goals. The squad looked strong, on paper on least, with the likes of Craig Charlesworth, Justin Burdett, Chris Rhodes and Lee Easom and there was optimism of a decent season. They were brought down to earth the following week when Holbrook ran out 4-0 winners but again there was encouragement from a Glapwell perspective.

AUGUST
Pre-season continued with three games against sides from the East Midlands Counties League. For the first half at Blackwell, it appeared to be Glapwell playing at the higher level as they were coasting at the break and deservedly led 1-0 with a fine goal from Lee Easom. Unfortunately, the second half saw a collapse and Blackwell eventually triumphed 4-2 although, again, Glapwell’s performance was pleasing. Games followed against Borrowash and Heanor at Hall Corner and although Glapwell were comfortably beaten, optimism was high going into the league campaign. But, Glapwell’s first game at Step 7 since 1994 didn’t go to plan as, despite a bright enough start to the game, they found themselves 3-0 down after 30 minutes before eventually going down 4-1 to visitors, and eventual runners-up, Thoresby CW. However, they bounced back in style three days later by recording a 6-3 win over Hutton Cranswick United; however, perhaps, Glapwell’s season was summed up when this was eventually expunged following Hutton’s unfortunate resignation from the league in November. Another victory at Kiveton Park was followed up with a defeat at Parkhouse. But a good Bank Holiday weekend of four points from an available six saw them finish the opening month with nine points from the first six games.

SEPTEMBER
After a respectable opening month, things soon started to go wrong for Glapwell and the tone was set early in the month with a late defeat at Harworth Colliery which was followed by a disappointing home draw with Thorne Colliery. In the game with Thorne, Glapwell were also pegged back by a late goal which was made all the harder to take given the fact the they had hit the woodwork four times during the game as well as creating numerous other chances. A poor showing followed in a narrow home defeat to eventual champions Westella and Willerby before a disappointing month was wrapped up with a 2-2 draw at Phoenix. Although, that was a result that wasn’t too bad considering they fought back from 2-0 down at half-time with only ten men following Jay Whalley’s sending off.

OCTOBER
As bad as the month of September was, October was even worse. It began with three successive home games and a perfect chance to pick up a few points to kickstart the season. But how wrong that could be! Clipstone arrived at Hall Corner at the start of the month and left with all three points after a convincing 4-1 victory, a scoreline that was repeated when Dronfield Town also left Glapwell with all three points four days later. But much worse was to follow as a Bilsthorpe side without a win arrived at Hall Corner. Everything looked so good for Glapwell as they took a two-goal lead into the break but in the second period the unthinkable happened as the visitors staged a late, and quite unbelievable, comeback to take the points. It seemed, at that stage, that things could get no worse and at least there was an improved performance but still-unbeaten Thoresby completed an early league double with a 2-0 win. A run of four successive defeats was briefly halted by a goalless draw at Thorne before the month went from bad to worse as it finished with a 5-0 defeat at Yorkshire Main. Just one points from five games in the month was far from ideal, and there was also concern over how many players the club were getting through as the sides had not been the same from one game to another; a statistic that would carry on until the end of the season.

NOVEMBER
After a disappointing October, the club were looking to kick on in November but, again, that didn’t happen as the month began with a dismal 2-0 defeat at Hutton Cranswick United before a great deal of bottle was shown to following week as despite going a goal, and a man, down early on at Ollerton, it took a late equaliser from the home side to deny Glapwell what would have been their first win since August. Glapwell took a break from league action three days later and fell to a 5-0 defeat at NCEL Premier Division side Long Eaton United before things slumped to an all-time low when Glapwell were forced to play their game at Bentley with only ten men after several players pulled out and, as was to be expected, another defeat followed to leave the club third bottom. And this defeat brought change to the club as the management team left Hall Corner, along with several players, as for the second time in only four months the club needed to start again!

DECEMBER
But thankfully, the club had three weeks to sort things out before their next game at Kinsley Boys the week before Christmas. With chairman Phil Davies in charge with Richard Preston and, practically, another new team a heavy defeat followed by five goals to nil. However, things started to improve as Glapwell ended the calendar year with a home game against Harworth and despite taking a half-time lead, fell to a 3-1 defeat but for the first time in weeks there was general optimism about the performance of the side.

JANUARY
And the improvement continued in the New Year as former Mansfield Town physio Jason Truscott came on board alongside Davies and Preston. The new year kicked off with a League Cup game at home to Parkhouse and Glapwell were desperately unlucky to lose out to a goal four minutes from time. It was the best performance from the side for some weeks but, unfortunately, that level was not reached three days later when Kiveton Park left Hall Corner with a 2-0 victory. Following all their struggles, probably the last thing Glapwell wanted was a trip to the leaders Clipstone, but amazingly Glapwell took an early lead which could have been doubled before the leaders went into the break in front courtesy of a highly controversial goal which just about summed up Glapwell’s luck. However, the following week Glapwell were able to celebrate a victory for the first time since August as they recorded a 2-0 win over DFS Welbeck at Forest Town Welfare. The game saw Jason Truscott take more control of the side; and he would do so for the remainder of the season.

FEBRUARY
February’s fixtures were decimated by poor weather with only one game at the end of the month. And, on paper, it was a difficult one with Kinsley Boys visiting Hall Corner. But a spirited performance saw a narrow 2-1 defeat with Glapwell’s goal coming from Callum Green who had made a very welcome return to the club the week previous.

MARCH
Following the recent on-field improvements, Glapwell could have been forgiven for expecting a victory at Bilsthorpe. And for the first half, at least, it looked odds on as a two-goal lead was established before the break. But bearing in mind what had occurred in the previous meeting four months previous, this meant nothing as it proved as four Bilsthorpe goals in the second half left Glapwell with a defeat that was particularly hard to take. However, Glapwell responded remarkably four days later as, against all odds, the club took on Kinsley Boys in the Semi-Final of the Floodlit Cup and achieved a surprise 1-0 victory with Green scoring his second goal in two games since his return to the club. That result was the kind of thing that could spur the club on for the rest of the season. The next game saw Glapwell host the final game in the CMFL Bonanza weekend. With Parkhouse the visitors to Hall Corner, over 200 people watched the game which was a winner off the field but on it they lost out but again there were positives although Parkhouse came out 2-0 winners. The improvement continued to following week and although fourth-placed Yorkshire Main scored a stoppage time winner, it showed that on their day Glapwell could compete with the better sides in the division. And, again, this was evident as the club hosted Ollerton in the Final of the Northern Section of the Floodlit Cup. Glapwell’s first half performance was fantastic and although the visitors snatched the victory with a second half goal there was still plenty to take encouragement from. It showed just how far Glapwell had come over a few weeks that they went into the final game of March thinking they could win. And things looked so good as they raced into a three goal lead against Bentley Colliery. A goal just before the break got the visitors back in it and they scored two just after half-time to salvage a point for themselves and leave Glapwell with further disappointment.

APRIL
April began with another home game that looked winnable as Phoenix visited Hall Corner. But again it was not to be. The visitors took a first half lead in a controversial game where Glapwell felt on the rough side of the officials’ decisions. A last minute equaliser by Josh Goodhand looked to have salvaged a point but there was a twist in the tale as Phoenix stole the points with a goal in the eighth minute of added time. It seemed that Glapwell couldn’t buy a win and things got no easier on Easter Monday when the club travelled to title challengers Dronfield Town. A solid enough performance didn’t get the rewards as Town recorded a 4-0 victory. But as their home campaign drew to a close, Glapwell didn’t do themselves any justice at all when they were crushed 6-0 by Ollerton Town. It was a really disappointing way to end the Hall Corner campaign as there appeared to be very little fight. But with the season end in sight, it was just a case of getting through and then regrouping again.

MAY
But May was another poor month. The scheduled game away at Westella had to be postponed as only six players were available. Only eight were available for the game at Easington and despite taking a shock early lead, the side fell to a 9-1 defeat a spirited performance. The season was concluded at the end of May with Glapwell needing a result to deny Westella the title, and despite having only ten players available they performed admirably before going down to a harsh 4-1 defeat that earned them a lot of deserved plaudits afterwards. Almost immediately after the game Jason Truscott was appointed as manager on a permanent basis as the club prepared for the new season.

So, a difficult season wrapped up but it has been an important one in terms of lessons that have been learned by everyone.

It has also been a strange season as it was almost like two different campaigns, pre-Christmas and post-Christmas, with a nearly completely different side in each.

A total of 56 players were used over the course of the season and while it is still unclear which players will be at the club next season, one things is for sure, the club are expecting a far better season next time around…