Midfielder can carry on coaching

25 Apr 2018 By David Watters

Midfielder Tom Bates is set to carry on working alongside Jimmy Ginnelly as one of his first team coaches at EVO-STIK League Barwell.

The experienced 32-year-old stepped up to start coaching the EVO-STIK League Premier Division club's squad last month and is looking forward to carrying on alongside Ginnelly and his number two Guy Hadland next season after quickly settling into his new role at Kirkby Road.

Bates, pictured in action, told the club's fans he wouldn't be short on motivation next season before the club's 1-1 draw with Stourbridge on Tuesday night.

The midfielder said: "It’s good. It’s new for me, it’s something that I want to get into in as much of a capacity as I can. I look at a lot of the teams we’re playing against, I look at player preparation and team preparation. I’ll study the last four or five games of teams that we play against, go and see games if I can."

He added: “It’s something I personally want to look at and do more of. In the sense of how I can affect the team, I just want to do as much as I can. If I can affect how a team plays against us, if it’s shape or if it’s an individual player, we’ll highlight something. If it helps the team then I’m happy to do that."

Image courtesy of @BarwellFC1992/Twitter

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Where next?

Tuesday's First Division South review Alvechurch need only a point from their remaining two games, or Frickley Athletic to drop a point, to secure the second automatic promotion spot from the EVO-STIK League South in their first season back at this level, writes Pitchero's Steve Whitney.