PORK PIES SO MUCH MEATIER
WITH a population of almost 30,000, the Leicestershire town of Melton Mowbray is something of a sleeping giant when it comes to the beautiful game.
Known more for its exquisite locally sourced pork pies, the settlement has never had a professional side to cheer on.
However, Tom Manship is on a mission to change all that and finally put his hometown on the footballing map.
Since being appointed Melton Town manager in the summer of 2018, the former Hyde United and Hinckley midfielder has been carefully crafting the foundations of a rise through the NonLeague pyramid.
Last season, after years of battling at the very top of United Counties Division One, a breakthrough was made as Town were finally awarded promotion to Step 5.
Now, with three new 3G surface having been unveiled this week, Melton have the wind in their sails and are beginning to make themselves noticed.
“This is the project of a lifetime,” Manship told The NLP.
“We are in a big town and footballing wise it has had absolutely nothing to shout about.
“I can remember growing up here as an aspiring player, it was tough because the facilities were non-existent.
“The club is on a mission to change that by providing a world-class playing environment and the chance for local footballers to compete at a high level.”
Despite having to play their opening 12 matches away from home, while construction on their new pitch was completed, Melton have adapted well to life in Step 5 and currently sit in mid-table, with games in hand over their promotion rivals.
“Considering the logistical barriers we’ve faced over the past few months, I’m really happy with how things have gone,” added the Town boss.
“Not having our ground in use has made everything complicated. For example, we normally block book our training for the entire season, whereas I’ve had to be calling up different places every week to try and get hold of pitches.
“We’ve been crying out for a new surface. We simply couldn’t have progressed with things as they were, there were 11 games called off in the season before last because the surface was deemed unplayable.”
Pride
In his three years in charge, Manship has overseen a rapid rise in attendances at the Melton Sports Village, while boasting an impressive win ratio in the region of 70 per cent.
Three points on a Saturday afternoon, complete with fast paced, attacking football is certainly high up on the managers’ priorities, however it ultimately forms part of a wider remit of trying to get his community to embrace the game.
“People in the town are starting to come down and give us support, which gives us all so much pride,” said Manship.
“When I first arrived, my main task was to stabilise things within the squad because the club had been through a lot.
“Once that had been done, we started to look at the bigger picture and develop more serious and lofty ambitions.
“Last year’s promotion and the new pitch are all part of that roadmap.
“The fact that the facilities will be used by local school children as well is equally important because we want to be a club with the community at its very heart.
“There is a special needs school next to the ground who do such great work and it brings us so much pleasure to know the kids there will have fun playing on the new pitch.”
A bumper crowd of close to 500 came flooding through the turnstiles as the new look Melton Sports Village played host to its first game of the campaign on Tuesday night.
While Town were edged out by Newark FC, Manship knows the evening will signify a vital milestone in the club’s history.
He continued: “To see so many at the ground was a special, spine-tingling occasion.
Momentum
“I really hope a lot of the people choose to come back because we are going on a journey together and we want as many locals to be a part of it as possible.
“There are countless clubs in Non-League who have used a 3G surface as a springboard for moving onto the next level.
“We want to be the next team to do it and there is absolutely no reason why we can’t.
“There is a huge chance for us to pick up momentum right away and push for another immediate promotion.
“We now have a big backlog of home fixtures to catch up with, which present a huge chance to pick up points.
“I think 12 of our next 13 league games are at home so it puts us at a massive advantage through the hectic festive period.
“The future is bright here, football in Melton Mowbray is beginning to blossom and we are only just getting started!”