Newark Flowserve : Club lays down foundations for promotion push

Having made the perfect start on the pitch, Newark Flowserve are laying the foundations off it as they push for promotion.

The club is starting to make ground improvements that will allow them to move up to play step-six football should they continue their excellent league form.

Flowserve moved ten points clear at the top of the Notts Senior League Premier Division with three games in hand after a 14th successive league win at the weekend.

Joint manager Craig Roche said the club had put in their application for promotion to the East Midlands Counties League.

The club received a visit from the ground graders, who gave them a list of improvements that need to be made before the March 31 cut-off date.

“The graders gave us a list of requirements we need to achieve. It is nothing we weren’t expecting,” Roche said.

“One of the requirements was to get floodlights. They will be up before the end of the season and we are just waiting on a few funding options.

“We need covered standing and work on that started last weekend. We are also going to get paving around the ground.

“Should we be in a league position at the end of the season where we can be promoted we will make sure we are ready.”

Roche said he was pleased to be managing a Newark club that was actively taking steps to play at a higher level.

'It is looking more and more like a reality'

“It is really exciting. My only question to Gary Clarke (chairman) before I joined was about the ambition of the club,” he said.

“I have played football in Newark for a long time and it has always been at step-seven whether at Newark Town or Newark Flowserve.

“I always wanted to move up a level as a player but it has never been possible.

“There is a massive difference between the two steps and it is looking more and more like a reality.

“We are operating on and off the field with a step-six mentality. We believe the team we have now is strong enough to compete at that level.

“However, we are not counting our chickens and we need to keep playing well.”

He said he was pleased with the team’s ability to find different ways of winning matches.

“We are really pleased with the form. The main thing is the manner they are playing the game week in week out.

“There are some weeks we are playing nice flowing football, while on others we are doing whatever we need to do to get the points.”

Flowserve face a huge match on Saturday when they travel to second-placed Cotgrave with an opportunity to put further distance between themselves and the chasing pack.