Euxton Villa boss Atherton: 'We have to kick on this season'

Euxton Villa manager Matt Atherton is eyeing a title charge – as well as some much-needed sleep!

The 32-year-old defender will lead the Runshaw Hall Lane club into battle on Saturday at Poulton Town as the curtain is raised on another season of West Lancashire League football.

Atherton’s partner Jackie gave birth to baby Penelope just over four weeks ago so he’s getting well versed in juggling nappies as well as opposition strikers.

“So far I can’t complain, we’re getting four or five hours sleep usually,” laughed the ex-Runcorn Linnets man.

“It might mellow me a little bit being a dad but we’ll have to see!”

Euxton Villa will be one of the main title challengers this season and player-manager Atherton is hoping for an improvement on the third placed finish from the curtailed 2019-20 season when they trailed Fulwood Amateurs and Tempest United.

“We’ve got to kick on this season,” he said. “The committee has invested in the development of the whole club and we’ve got to be looking at winning the league.

“I’m really happy with the squad we have – it’s been pretty stable for a few seasons now and they’re a really good group of players.

"If they perform to the best of their abilities we are definitely in with a chance. The question is whether we can sustain that week in, week out.”

Atherton will be hoping Pat Bibby will be able to replicate his form from the 2019/20 season when he plundered 22 goals to finish the league’s second highest scorer.

“Pat’s an all-round striker,” said Atherton.

“He’s got two great feet, he’s quick and at times he’s unplayable.”

Euxton’s ambitions on the pitch are matched off it as the club works through plans to move up the football pyramid.

The first phases of developing the ground, including fencing and hard standing, are now complete with plans to erect a stand and floodlights in the club’s longer-term vision.

And Atherton reckons making that leap is no longer as daunting as it once may have seemed.

“We have seen Charnock Richard, Longridge and Garstang make that step up and done it in a sustainable way.

"We have a rock solid committee who are made up of volunteers – there’s no sugar daddy pumping money in – and it’s perhaps not as big and scary as it may have been in the past.

"We’ve got something like 40 youth teams so the progression is there to build on.”

Atherton will be taking up an unaccustomed role this season – in the middle of a back four.

“I started as a winger, then moved to full-back and now I’m in the centre. My knees are definitely on their way out!”

Euxton Villa kick off their season at Poulton Town on Saturday before hosting Slyne with Hest on Tuesday August 10 (7pm kick off).

• Got a story? Get in touch – click here to find out how young journalists will be helping to bolster the West Lancashire League’s news coverage in 2021/22.