Sherburn White Rose FC has announced that its first-team squad will drop down a division for the upcoming 2021/22 season - citing issues with its current player pool and welfare of players.
The club, who have been in the West Yorkshire Premier Division League for the last number of years, revealed last week that they would be making the “incredibly difficult” decision to fall to the first division for the forthcoming campaign.
In a statement released on Thursday, July 15, the first-team manager of White Rose, Rob Foreman, admitted that the club has been “lucky” to avoid relegation in the last number of seasons. The manager also highlighted his ambitions to “take one step back to take two forwards,” which will be inspired by promoting youth players from the club’s ranks in the future. The statement reads: “As first team manager, I have to announce that we have taken the incredibly difficult decision to request that the first-team squad are placed into West Yorkshire Division One for the forthcoming 2021/22 season. “On and off the pitch, the last couple of seasons in the West Yorkshire Premier Division have been difficult for all concerned. We perhaps have been fortunate, however, that the pandemic has saved the side from relegation before now, but having looked at the current player pool and the long term development and welfare of our players, we felt it was the right decision to ask to drop into Division One. “We see this as an opportunity to reset and build positively for the future. It may be seen by some as a step back, but sometimes this is what is needed to go two steps forward again. We want to ensure that the first-team squad, for the majority, is built on the foundations of local players and players that have come through the junior ranks and are proud to represent Sherburn White Rose.”
Despite the drastic upcoming changes at Sherburn White Rose FC, Rob has admitted that a season in division one won’t be an “easy ride” and has acknowledged that all at the club, including staff, players and supporters will have to band together to push the team along. His statement continued: “We do not underestimate the job at hand and we know that Division One will be a tough proposition for the team but we feel strongly that it provides a better platform to rebuild the confidence and competitiveness of the first team squad and hopefully build momentum moving forward. “Alongside our experienced players, we are keen to promote and support players from our junior sides to progress into the first-team picture and have already held meetings and sessions with those age groups. “Several under-17s have recently made their first-team debuts, and we hope this will inspire other junior players to push themselves into senior football too. “As a coaching group, we care passionately about this club and our players, and we want to build a team that the club and local community are proud of. We, therefore, hope that you will now get behind us and support us as we build for the future.”
From the upcoming season, White Rose FC will be placed into West Yorkshire Division One. (22-07-18 SU)
