MARKETMEN BOND GOT US THROUGH, SAYS LUKE
LUKE INGRAM says Needham Market’s title triumph is made all the more special by the group who have achieved it.
Kevin Horlock’s tightknit Marketmen were crowned Southern Premier Central champions to win promotion to Step 2 for the first time in the club’s history.
The Suffolk outfit have enjoyed a run to the FA Cup first round proper and the FA Trophy quarter-finals in recent seasons – and forward Ingram, who has spent the last 11 years with the Marketmen, couldn’t be prouder they’ve now achieved the ultimate of league glory.
“These last two or three years we’ve had some really good times,” he told The NLP. “The cup runs have been good but it’s nice to get some success in the league.
“A lot of us have been together a good six or seven years. Myself Kieran Morphew, the captain, next season will be our 12th season together.
“We shared a little moment together when we won the league. We met through football, we’ve become best friends now, so it feels like we’ve done it together. I’m just really proud.
“I’ve made some amazing friends at the club. Especially with Needham and being in Suffolk, most of our away games can be three hours so you’ve got to do it with a good bunch of people.
“We’ve always had a good team spirit. Needham have always done it the right way and brought in good people.
“They tweaked things last summer, signed a few players to change the way we play a little bit, but it’s always been good characters.
“The proof is in the pudding. If you’re a good person, you work hard, you get results.
“Sometimes you see teams where they only see each other at training or a game and you can tell there isn’t that camaraderie.
“We will always have a bond now. We can say we’re the first team in Suffolk to win a league at this level.”
Jamie McGrath, who scored a hat-trick in last week’s title-clincher, was signed two years ago from Suffolk & Ipswich League East Bergholt United.
And Ingram says boss Horlock and his staff deserve credit for their recruitment – and delivering a promotion not many would have predicted.
“The management have done unbelievable,” Ingram said. “We don’t have the biggest budget around so the way they’ve assembled a team, a good bunch, they deserve all the plaudits they get.
“We always wanted to be a team that could maybe get in the play-offs and have something to play for. I don’t think anyone would have suspected this. It’s incredible, really, what we’ve done.
“It’s really nice for everyone at the club. We had special days in the cup but now we’ve got a special to season to hold onto. I am really looking forward to the next chapter.”
And Ingram plans to lap up every minute of Step 2 football.
“To be honest, I thought my chances of playing Step 2 was gone,” he added. “We’re all looking forward to it and we’ll embrace everything. Even just the little things like having names on our shirts. We’re going to enjoy every minute and really appreciate it.”