IT MAY be Campion's first season on the non-league ladder, but it has been a very positive one, despite them coming up just short in their tilt for the play-offs.

Just three games remain in Campion’s inaugural season on the pyramid system, and they are a creditable eighth in Division One of the Toolstation Northern Counties East League.

However, after a bright start to the campaign, James Bicknell’s side were involved in the hunt for a play-off place throughout before a 2-0 defeat at second-placed Pontefract Collieries last weekend ended their promotion chances.

Andy Shepard, one of the club’s tireless volunteers whose offcial title is treasurer, feels that they have outstripped their expectations.

He said: “Overall we’ve done extremely well over the season as a whole.

“You have to consider that all of the players in our squad were in the West Riding County Amateur League last season, so under those circumstances I think it’s been an exceptional season.”

Shepard is also keen to point out that not all of the players were with Campion last term, with some being with rival County Amateur clubs.

Some have also played at various levels in the semi-pro game before but had gone back to local football.

Shepard added: “We had a good side last season but we knew that we’d need a bigger squad with much more depth if we were to compete in the Northern Counties. We looked to bring in the best players that had played against us because that’s the level we knew.

“The West Riding is where we’ve spent most of our history as a club, so it made sense to stick with what we knew.

"We know that there are always good players at that level because a lot of the more established non-league clubs are always looking to pick up the ones that are building up a bit of a reputation.

“We managed to get some very good players in, which just shows the standard in the County Amateur League, and we thought that we’d do well.

"The bonus was that they settled very quickly, and that’s credit to the lads.

“We missed out on the play-offs but it’s given us a little bit of a taste and we’ll go again next season.”