LEAGUE DREAM IS REALISTIC FOR LIONS

NEW Guiseley chairman James Ferguson believes the club have the infrastructure in place to become a Football League club.

Ferguson, commercial director of Otley-based Tate Fuel Oils, has replaced Phil Rogerson, who ended his 37-year association with the club two weeks ago following his relocation to Cornwall.

During Rogerson’s tenure with the club, Guiseley climbed from the Northern Counties East and reached Non-League’s top tier in 2015.

The Lions have finished just one place and one point above the bottom four in both of their seasons in the National League, but are hoping for a more comfortable campaign next term.

Ferguson, who previously worked with North West Counties League side Silsden, has high hopes for the club, who have put plenty of work in to improve their Nethermoor home this summer.

“The ultimate aim is for Guiseley AFC to be a selfsustaining model that has its destiny in its own hands,” Ferguson told the club’s website.

“One of our biggest commitments is to progress up a league into the Football League and we have to have the infrastructure in place to achieve that.

“We have given (manager) Adam Lockwood a competitive budget that will hopefully enable us to achieve our aim. In terms of players Adam has worked hard to retain many of last season’s squad and we have already signed up more than double the number we had at this time last season.

“Adam has done a fantastic job. He and his assistant Dave Penney have identified the key players they want and there are some big names in the pipeline but there are ongoing negotiations, some involving compensation, so supporters will have to be patient.

“Overall we have to constantly improve and strengthen year on year or the stimulation will decrease. We have to make sure that we are hungry enough to drive this forward and keep improving.”

Meanwhile, the Lions will continue their tradition of providing a first test for new Leeds United managers when the two teams meet for a pre-season friendly on July 8.

New boss Thomas Christiansen will visit Nether moor Park in his first game in charge, just like Garry Monk did last year and Dave Hockaday in 2014.