The 2012/2013 season
started with so much promise Welfare, with an influx of new players, fresh
ideas from the management and the backing of the loyal fans down at Church
Street, it was time to start looking at promotion out of the Baris NECL
Premiership.
Pre-season didn’t go
well for Welly with only one win in four friendly matches against lesser
quality opposition, manager Leo Fortune West had to change many things before
the first game of the season at home against Long Eaton United. Loosing the
first game of any season is seen as cardinal sin in Football and unfortunately
Welfare did just that, being on the end of a 2-1 defeat. The month of August
did turn out to be one of the best for Welfare this season, taking seven points
from six league matches.
The month of September
came and went very quickly with Welfare only taking four points from a possible
18. The management soon became aware of the relegation fight them found
themselves in. Manager Fortune-West needed to get the team in shape for a
tricky period over October, November and December. Fans’ already worrying after
the poor performances seen at Church Street that relegation was on the horizon. From a season the promised so much
hope, inconsistency was becoming a huge factor for Welfare.
As Christmas rolled
along, Leo’s men needed a good month, and that’s just what they had. With only
four games over the festival period Welfare took six points out of a possible
12. December turned out to be a good month for Leo’s men who were starting to
look up the table rather than down.
Christmas came and
went with Welfare looking up the table, and then the run of good form took a
turn for the worst. A run of two months without a win dragged Welly back down
to the foot of the table. And until the end of the season in May, Welfare had
only two wins in five months, relegation form. Fans and management put this
down to inconsistency within the team selection and the manager’s tactics. Then
with three games of the season left manager Leo Fortune West took the decision
to resign from his post as first team manager of Welfare. The club then had to
focus on fighting off relegation on the final day of the season.
Picture the scene,
Church Street bathed in sunshine for the final game of the Welfare season,
D-Day. Welfare started nervously, going behind after 27 minutes. But then with
20 minutes left to save their season, Welfare scored two goals in two minutes,
one from Welfare hero Richard Smith, to save their disaster of a season.
This week Welfare has
announced their new manager as Brian Johnston. Brian is looking to take the
team further and point them into a new direction. So any Welfare fan, I urge
you to get down to Church Street at any point next season to support your local
club.
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