DRURY DEAD SET ON TITLE REDEMPTION
STAMFORD boss Graham Drury is calling on fans to enjoy the ride after the club leapfrogged Halesowen Town to go top of the NPL Midlands table and target promotion after four years of league and cup heartache.
The Daniels are unbeaten in the league since December 3 with nine wins and two draws from their last 11 matches.
Despite this success, Drury insists the club are taking one game at a time after last season’s disappointment when they finished second in the league but lost to Belper Town in the play-offs.
That followed two years where the league was impacted by Covid, preventing Stamford from building on strong starts.
In recent years, Stamford also enjoyed a record-breaking run to the first round of the FA Cup, but lost to Hereford in the fourth round of the 2021 FA Trophy, having not been able to train due to Covid restrictions.
Despite those setbacks, Drury has remained positive and was rewarded with a two-year contract extension last summer which will keep him at the Zeeco Stadium until the end of the 2024/25 season.
It’s part of a shared belief the Daniels are building something special with consistency and togetherness at its heart.
“We’ve had a quite a consistent group for the last four seasons now,” Drury told The NLP.
“We’ve not looked to keep bringing players in. That shows with the 80%win ratio we’ve had.
“The lads are a pleasure to work with, they take every instruction on board. If we change shape, or make a tactical change during a game, they just slot in and do what you ask of them. We’ve had a fantastic group of footballers who are in it together. We trust one another. That’s a recipe for why they’re doing so well.
“I always try and get players to have a smile on their faces. Win, lose or draw, they’ll always leave the club with a positive attitude. That’s the real key. I want my players to feel they’re a part of something. That’s what I think Stamford do really well.”
Drury is aware pundits are talking about promotion as a two-horse race between Stamford and Halesowen but points out that Spalding are close behind in third place. Stamford have to play both clubs before the end of the season with a juicy away tie against Halesowen as their last fixture on April 22.
“If we can continue the form we’re in then fantastic,” says Drury. “But I’m not naïve enough to think there’s not a few bumps in the road yet. That’d be for all the top sides, so there’s a lot of twists and turns to come.
“We don’t feel any pressure. We’ll take those small steps as they come along. We’ll embrace it, we’ll enjoy it. Like I keep saying to the fans and everybody at the club, just enjoy the ride because this is what you’re in football for.
“The frustrating thing is to have an 80% win ratio over four years and still be in the same division. But it means absolutely nothing unless we cross the line.”
Support has grown with over 400 home fans watching their last home game against Loughborough Dynamo a fortnight ago.
“The crowd’s in it with us. It’s building week upon week. I’m sure it’s to do with that winning feeling, everybody wants to see a winning side,” says Drury.
“Everybody’s enjoying what they’re doing, the crowd are really up for it. We travel in good numbers as well. The players respond to it and really appreciate it.
“Every game, win, lose or draw, I make sure they go over and clap the fans. We make them feel a part of what we’re doing. We wouldn’t be doing it without them.
“They see they mean something to us.”