BLOODS DRIVEN BY PACE MAKER
Stalwart boss relishes Droylsden return
AMBITIOUS Dave Pace is relishing Droylsden’s return to action – and would love to lead them on a march back up the pyramid.
It was just 15 years ago that the Greater Manchester club were mixing it with the likes of Exeter City, Oxford United and Burton Albion in Non-League’s top flight.
It proved to be a brief stay and by 2020 the Bloods were at Step 4 in NPL Division One North West. Things took an even darker turn when Droylsden withdrew from the NPL ahead of the 2020-21 season, citing the devastating impact of Covid on their finances.
The famous old club – founded in 1892 – have had to watch on from the sidelines over the last three years, but are now set to return to action in the coming campaign.
It’s lower down in North West Counties Division One North, but, after all the trials and tribulations of the last few years, the Bloods are just looking forward to getting back out on the park at the Butcher’s Arms.
Achievement
Long-serving chairman and manager Pace, whose association with the club goes back more than 30 years, told The NLP. “We have done remarkably well to be starting next season – I thought it would be another year.
“First and foremost, I have to thank the North West Counties League. They applied on our behalf and really helped us.
“I also can’t thank the fans enough. They had every right to be disgruntled – at one time we were playing the likes of Oxford United, Chesterfield and Leyton Orient and then there was nothing.
“We are working together with the fans and they have backed us massively. Over the last four months we have managed to raise some funds and the work that’s gone into the ground has been great. We’re starting at the bottom but it’s a massive achievement to be where we are now.
“We are just over the moon to play football again. I’m feeling at the moment how I felt when we played our first game in the Conference. I’m just as excited. It’s such an achievement but in different ways.”
Now the challenge is to put together a team that can compete at Step 6.
Opportunity
“There are local players that think they are good enough to play at this level and we’ve got an open trial on June 10 – I’m giving them an opportunity,” he said. “We also have our scouting systems.
“Our first friendly is probably in four weeks so we haven’t got a lot of time.”
But Pace won’t be happy just to make the numbers up on Droylsden’s return.
“I don’t go into anything half-hearted,” he added. “If I’m not capable of doing the job then I will resign and let someone else do it.
“I want to move through the leagues straightaway like Macclesfield have done, even though they have a bigger fanbase.
“I took Droylsden to the Conference on a fanbase of 250 and built the ground at the same time.
“I would love to get the club back to where it was – the ambition is to move up the leagues.”