WORKINGTON TOWN coach Jonty Gorley has praised the players who have made the step up from the community game to League One this year.
Gorley made a return to Workington in the close-season and has put a squad together that is firmly in contention for the top four and a possible promotion back to the Championship.
He said: “I’ve got a couple of Wath Brow lads in. They’ve got a good thing going at Wath Brow, they’re always in and around the play-offs and they’ve got a good culture and a good club with good support, and players don’t always see League One as a step up.
“The travelling is a barrier to getting players. There’s less and less teams in the amateur game all over the country but definitely in Cumbria, every village had two teams at one point, whereas not now.
“But if you ask the lads we’ve signed, they’ll tell you it’s definitely a step up and it’s getting harder and harder each year which is great for the game.
“You ask Cole Walker-Taylor or Callum Farrer if it’s a step up. Once upon a time they’d have said ‘I’d rather have my Saturdays with the Wath Brow lads and have a pint at night’.
“It’s tough getting them, because of the culture of being with their mates and socialising. But there are the odd ones who want to test themselves and I’m quite keen to give them that chance.
“Cole had a great game at Keighley, Callum has been outstanding as a middle, and they’ve shown that players can make that step up if they really want to.”