WE’RE AV-ING A BIG PARTY NOW!
THOSE who have led the ascent didn’t know what to say in the moments after Avro secured a historic promotion to the Northern Premier League.
Chairman Rob Fuller confessed to standing aside to take in the celebrations while Alex Frost, the manager, admitted initially he couldn’t find the words to describe how he was feeling.
A run of three promotions in the past four completed seasons can have that affect.
“I’m still pinching myself,” said Fuller. “It’s a massive high.”
The prospect of hosting neighbours Stalybridge Celtic, a side that operated four divisions higher and finished more than 70 places above Avro in the Non-League pyramid when they won the Manchester League title in 2018, puts into perspective what the Oldham-based club have achieved.
A 2-1 victory at Lincoln United, secured by Jack Morrow’s goal, in an inter-step play-off has propelled them to the highest level they have played at.
Frost said: “For the players, it’s amazing. For the club, it’s crazy. That bit might take longer to sink in.”
The 37-year-old, in his first job picking a team, only took charge last year after a career that saw him make more than 200 appearances for Ashton United in addition to spells with the likes of Nantwich and Droylsden.
Together with Phil Edghill, his assistant, the duo steered Avro to second spot in the North West Counties League’s top flight with the best defensive record.
A sequence of seven successive wins from the start of February, during which they contributed five clean sheets to an overall total that reached 20 in 42 Premier Division games, saw them briefly lead a title race they appeared out of.
“I’m most proud of the togetherness that means we’ve posted numbers like that,” said Frost.
“From the start, I wanted us to have a clear identity and that’s never changed; we’ve stuck to the principles we wanted to be known for.
“That’s definitely helped us to recover from disappointments.”
He told The NLP Avro’s rise would not have been possible without similar growth off the pitch.
The crowds are bigger than previously – a following north of 150 roared them on at Lincoln – and there are now two dozen age-group sides below the first team.
“It wasn’t always that way,” explained Fuller, who was manager when Avro took top spot in the Manchester League 13 years ago.
As chairman, he has overseen a move from their old home to a new one with a 3G surface at the former Whitebank Stadium in Limeside.
A focus on giving fans an afternoon to remember – the food sold on match-day has earned rave reviews – is one reason they return, in his view.
Fuller added: “Everybody that comes seems to stay! I
think that’s a good sign.
“The number of people supporting us at the play-off game is testament to that.
“We don’t have a wealthy backer, nor a huge fan base, so we’ve had to evolve in a sustainable way with talented volunteers driving us.
“It’s worked, and we’re ahead of schedule when it comes to where we thought we’d be.
“That’s the second time I’ve had to revise our long-term plan, so I’m getting used to it!”