Preparations are already underway for Atherton Colls’ milestone 10th successive season in the Northern Premier League.
Manager Danny Lafferty looked ahead following the defeat against Bury on Saturday, which wrapped up the 2025/26 campaign.
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Lafferty was club captain as the Colls recorded the fifth-best defensive record in the NPL Premier in 2021/22, keeping 12 clean sheets in the process, and the now gaffer will be looking to shape the backline in his image in his first full season in the dugout.
On the Bury game, Lafferty noted the positives in the performance against the eventual league champions, especially the resilience after going down to 10 men after 25 minutes, but also voiced his frustrations over the manner in which the goals were conceded.
“There’s still the frustration that they didn’t carve us open, which is credit to the lads who were down to 10 men,” he said.
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“But we’ve conceded all three goals from set-pieces, and that comes down to desire and mentality
“As a centre-half, I pride myself on clean sheets. Currently, we are conceding weak goals and we’ll have to work harder for next season, but I’m excited for that”.
The game itself was perhaps a question of what could have been for the Colls, with three decisive first-half moments falling in favour of the visitors.
Jack Dallimore felt he had been fouled for the opening goal and minutes later, Luke Nock was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Mo Touray. Sam Olawumi missed a gilt-edged chance on the brink of half time with the score still 1-0.
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On a peculiar day for the home side, in which the Shakers were crowned champions, Lafferty had a classy message for Anthony Johnson’s side.
“Fair play to Bury. To win the league at this level, you need a lot of dedication and a lot of commitment, and you’ve got to have a lot of ability, so fair play to them,” he insisted.
Reflecting on a successful year off the pitch, Lafferty added: “It’s brilliant to see, to be honest. The progress off the pitch is just as important as what happens on it, and the club is moving in the right direction”
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“The new junior facilities (at Bee Fold Lane), the new player development pathway with Under 18s and 21s, as well as the new women’s side, it all shows real ambition. It’s about building something long term, not just focusing on the here and now.
“For me, it creates a real connection with the community, and gives young players a clear pathway which is massive for the future of the club.”
After finishing 13th in the table, Lafferty is setting his sights high for his first full campaign with the squad.
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“The ambition is clear, we want to be right up there competing at the top end of the table, and we’ll be looking to have a strong run in the cups as well,” he explained,
“Work is well underway behind the scenes. We know what we want and we know where we need to improve, and we’ll be bringing in the right players to push us on. We’re in a strong starting position, I’m confident we’ll be ready to go next season.”
