CLEETHORPES LIFE IDEAL FIT FOR VERNON
He may have won the League One play-offs with Blackpool at Wembley and slotted a penalty in front of over 40,000 fans to lift the Scottish League Cup with Aberdeen, but evergreen striker Scott Vernon loves life in Non-League.
The 35-year-old joined Step 4 side Cleethorpes Town last summer before going on to roll back the years and enjoy a prolific campaign in front of goal, netting 21 times in the league to help the Owls to a seventh place finish in NPL Division One East.
Following on from their impressive showing in Step 4 last season, all the signs suggest that Cleethorpes will once again be a serious force to be reckoned with this time around and a 5-0 crushing of Lincoln United on Tuesday has got Vernon excited about what the campaign has in store.
On a high
“I have really loved being here so far and this week we were able to show everyone what we were capable of,” Vernon told The NLP.
“We always knew that we had that kind of performance in us. We had a few moments last year where we were able to pass an opponent off the pitch for certain phases and it all came into fruition on Tuesday.
“Last season was a bittersweet one. We finished really strongly and were trying to drag ourselves into the playoffs but ultimately we just left ourselves a bit too much to do.
“But by finishing last year on a high it has given us a new sense of belief for this season.”
Vernon’s decision to enter the world of Non-League came after a two-year spell with former National League play-off winners Grimsby Town and he admits to being blown away by Cleethorpes’ ambitions.
The Owls appear to be a club on the up, having settled quickly in Step 4, after reaching the FA Vase Final and storming their way to the Northern Counties East Premier Division title in 2017.
Now the North East Lincolnshire club have their sights on another promotion assault.
“The move was just right for me. When I joined Grimsby I moved my family up here and I didn’t want to keep moving them around the country,” added the striker.
“I had a few offers from elsewhere but they were all one-year deals and it would have really disrupted what we have here.
“My two daughters were settled at school and moving them wouldn’t have been fair. I decided to stay as local as possible and that is when I came in contact with Cleethorpes.
“They had just moved into a brand new ground and the people here are really trying to build the club in the right way.”
Some 17 years have passed since a fresh-faced Vernon first stepped out for his local club Oldham Athletic, however after racking up close to 40 appearances last season, he has no intention of hanging up his boots anytime soon.
He continued: “My legs are holding up for now! I had a relatively injury-free season last year, which was really encouraging.
“I tend to play down the middle so I don’t do as much running as those in the channels. Hopefully I can carry on going for quite a while longer.
“There is a great group of lads here and a superb team spirit.”