VIKINGS LIVE TO FIGHT AGAIN!

GOOLE chairman Steve Shorthouse says the club are determined to make the most of their Evo-Stik NPL Division One North reprieve. The Vikings are the beneficiary of the Northern Premier League’s refusal to grant stricken Ilkeston a playing licence for next season and the subsequent Step 4 vacancy. Isthmian League Division One North side Ware had already received a second chance following Worcester City’s decision to seek relegation which now seees them at Step 5. Goole are the next in the reprieve line on points-pergame and will remain in the division despite relegation last season. As a result, Frickley Athletic, who suffered relegation from the NPL Division, have been moved laterally to the NPL Division One South. Shorthouse told The NLP: “The table didn’t lie at the end of last season and we were deservedly in a relegation position. But we’re delighted to take the reprieve and we’re hoping to move on, learn from our mistakes, and try to make a better fist of it this coming season. “The division is probably going to be harder with some of the money that’s floating about, but it’s a second chance. We run our club properly and pay our bills. “I can understand the feeling that Northern Counties East sides should have been promot- ed instead, but rules are rules at the end of the day. “Hopefully we can have a better pre-season this year and get off on the front foot. We know we didn’t score enough goals last season. It’s not always easy to attract players when we’re at the bottom of the table, but we’ll keep going and hopefully move on – it would be nice to have a quiet season in mid-table!” In a statement the Northern Premier League urged the Football Association to have stricter deadlines to avoid an Ilkeston repeat in future. The statement said: “The Northern Premier League refused Ilkeston FC a licence following repeated breaches of the previously issued Conditional Licence applied last season. “The NPL shares the frustrations of clubs and supporters at the length of time taken in finalising club allocations. The League continues to press The FA to have in place more stringent deadlines in the future.”