GARY ROVER THE MOON TO BE BACK
GRESLEY Rovers legend Gary Norton says he and coboss Carl Abbott are hoping to inspire a new generation after the club announced they were reverting to their old name.
Norton was in charge of the club when they were liquidated in 2009, before reforming as Gresley FC.
Now, 30 years since the Moatmen were FA Vase finalists at Wembley, Norton says their proud heritage can turn a few heads again.
“I was the manager for the last six years of Gresley Rovers and then for the first four years of Gresley FC, so to have been the manager to have ended an era of the last-ever Gresley Rovers game after 127 years of history, was a bitter blow and very sad,” Norton told The NLP.
“It’s been a aspiration of the board to revert back to Gresley Rovers and to finally see it happen, it’s a big thing for me personally and for the many people who have been connected with the club for many years.
“We need something to spark that interest when we get back to things. It’s a bit of a lever to regenerate ourselves and set us up for a future of success.
“People still call us ‘Rovers’ anyway. It won’t mean anything for anyone outside of Gresley or Swadlincote but with the history and heritage we have, it’s very important. Our name means a lot.”
Norton is hoping things on the field improve next season too. Gresley FC were second-bottom of Midland League Premier when the season was halted early and he’s hoping to make the most of the fresh start of the new campaign.
“It’s been a bit of a decline for the last few seasons,” he added. “We’ve only won four games since I stepped down a season-anda-half ago.
“The pressure I put on myself is to start winning games as quickly as possible because our supporters deserve it. I’m putting that pressure on to make sure that happens – it has to!
“Carl Abbott is a fanatic in Non-League football and when he joined, we had a conversation about how to kickstart the club again and move forward.
“By moving back to Gresley Rovers, we can please some of the older fans but also inspire the next generation who can be proud of what we’ve achieved in the past.”