Steeton AFC confirmed their pre-season schedule ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Steeton AFC can today both confirm and announce our 2023 pre-season schedule.
Ahead of the scheduled start of the 2023/24 North West Counties Football League season on Saturday 29th April, for which we are currently projected to remain in the First Division North, manager Roy Mason has wasted no time in getting his preparations in place.
And with the first team squad to return for pre-season training in late June following a two-month break, the Chevrons will face six sides all from the level above.
The first five of the six currently scheduled friendly outings take place on home turf at Marley Stadium, beginning on Saturday 1st July with the visit of Campion.
The Manningham based outfit are the visitors for the first pre-season fixture as they prepare for life at Step 5 for the first time in the club’s history.
Campion are newly promoted to the NCEL Premier Division on the back of an historic record breaking season in 2022/23 that ended with the club being crowned Champions of NCEL Division One with 98 points on the board.
Two fixtures come the week after with Steeton in action on both Tuesday 4th July and Saturday 8th July.
Tuesday 4th July sees Thackley the visitors to our home looking to push on after a resurgence in the second half of last season following the appointments of Danny Forrest and non-league goalscoring legend Tom Greaves as joint managers.
The Dennyboys of course provided much needed opposition back in December with both clubs looking for gametime during the big freeze that decimated the winter fixture list.
The weekend then sees another NCEL Premier Division club in Frickley Athletic, now managed by Pat McGuire, visiting Marley on Saturday 8th July.
The South Elmsall based side will be hoping for better fortunes next time around after narrowly avoiding a second successive relegation in the season just gone.
And that is followed on Saturday 15th July by the visit of our nearest and dearest in the shape of Silsden for the Train Station Derby.
After a disappointing mid-table finish in the 2022/23 season, the Cobbydalers will be looking to push on with their promotion aspirations next season.
They will also be looking to take bragging rights after their last visit to Marley ended in defeat at the hands of the Chevrons in last October’s West Riding County Cup meeting between the two sides.
Pre-season is then completed with another double header of fixtures the week before the start of the new NWCFL campaign.
On Tuesday 18th July, Colne are the final pre-season visitors to Marley Stadium.
A disappointing season on and off the field ended with the club being relegated from the NPL Division One West, with the club looking to rebuild as they return to the NWCFL Premier Division for the first time since their title and promotion winning 2015/16 season.
The curtain is then brought down with a trip to the seaside to face more NWCFL Premier Division opposition in Squires Gate.
The Blackpool based club host Roy Mason and his side for the second successive year on Saturday 22nd July on the back of a comfortable mid-table season in the past year.
Both Roy and his opposite number Luke Evans will be looking to put the final touches to their preparations in what promises to be a humdinger to close out another gruelling pre-season.
STEETON AFC 2023/24 PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE
SATURDAY 1st JULY
Versus – Campion
Venue – Marley Stadium
KO – 3pm
TUESDAY 4th JULY
Versus – Thackley
Venue – Marley Stadium
KO – 7:45pm
SATURDAY 8th JULY
Versus – Frickley Athletic
Venue – Marley Stadium
KO – 3pm
SATURDAY 15th JULY
Versus – Silsden
Venue – Marley Stadium
KO – 3pm
TUESDAY 18th JULY
Versus – Colne
Venue – Marley Stadium
KO – 7:30pm
SATURDAY 22nd JULY
Versus – Squires Gate
Venue – Brian Addison Stadium
KO – 3pm