Skipper Bailey eyes culmination of a 10-year plan at Post Lane...
ALEX Bailey has seen Endon make great strides during his decade at the club – and wants to finish off their longterm project.
Bailey is back for a second stint at the helm of the Post Lane club having initially made the move in 2011.
He has since seen them rise from Division Three to the second tier... and the cusp of reaching the North Staffs and South Cheshire Premier League for the first time.
That includes back-to-back promotions in 2018 and 2019 to see them to the brink of the top flight.
“Personally it’s been a 10year project and I would love to see Endon playing in the Premier Division,” said the 35-year-old.
“That would be fantastic and I don’t think Endon will have a better opportunity than we have now because of the core group of players we’ve got.
“Playing in the top division with Endon would be the ultimate, but there are some quality sides in our league.
“We played Elworth on Saturday and then there’s the likes of Eccleshall and Hem Heath, who will be up there.
“We have a team that can be together for the next five or six years and they are good cricketers as well.
“Reaching the Premier Division would be great, but if you do make, you then have to establish yourself.”
Endon have gradually built over the years to start their rise up the league ladder.
The likes of George Sellers, Jordan Weaver and Harvey Ault hint at a continued bright future for the club.
And their performances last year – their first in Division One – also swelled optimism that Endon could challenge this time around.
There was no promotion or relegation in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, with the season also cut in half due to restrictions.
However, Endon managed to finish third at the end of their 11 games.
“It was a great opportunity last summer,” added Bailey. “We played without the pressure of promotion or relegation and it was the first time for Endon at that level.
“We saw what we were going to be up against, even though we knew teams would strength with pros and overseas players. I wasn’t surprised that we did well. Amateur for amateur we’ve got a good side and this has been a process for the last 10 years.
“We might have some
younger players in the team, but they are still experienced at various levels of the game.
“Although there was no pressure last year, we went out to win every game. Nothing changes for us this time.
“We still want to win every match, but this summer there is the cherry on the cake, if you like, in terms of the prize at stake.
“We’re not taking anything for granted, though. But hopefully we can be in the mix at the end of the season.”
Endon have certainly started this season in fine style.
They are second in the table and have won all five completed games they have played prior to their defeat against top of the table Elworth on Saturday.
Their clash against Hem Heath, who are third, was called off because of the weather earlier in the campaign.
“To get out of May, if we’d been offered five wins, we’d have snapped your hand off,” said Bailey.
“The club is in a very good place. Ten years ago we didn’t have too many juniors, but
now on a Friday night, the place is packed.
“You look at a club like Porthill Park and they just have a production line of players coming through. That’s what we want to achieve at Endon. We have a lot of hard-working volunteers at the club and being successful is reward for them as well.”