North West Counties League Premier Division

Finished 18th P42 W11 D6 L25 F58 A 98 GD-40 Pts 39

The Cobbydalers’ wretched season lurched from one crisis to another but the club ultimately achieved their only pre-requisite – survival.

Silsden have done an Arsenal in lower non-league terms.

They have brought their ground up to standard, and because of that they have endured austere times but are in a sound and solvent position and ready to look forward.

Unlike Arsene Wenger’s Premier League giants, however, the Cobbydalers do not have a £70 million war-chest to spend on players.

Manager Chris Reape was relying on players that had come up through the ranks at Keighley Road, and bolstered his squad with young players he had coached in his role with Oldham Athletic’s youth system.

Many clubs in the North West Counties Premier Division have bigger playing budgets and are more established on the football pyramid, so every season is a difficult one for Silsden.

The last one proved to be from the off, beginning with a league defeat, and an exit from the FA Cup in the extra-preliminary round in their third game, at home to Brighouse Town quickly followed.

League wins were earned but the Cobbydalers also went out of the FA Vase at the first hurdle so there were no financial rewards from the two major competitions.

Reape found thing increasingly difficult, and eventually handed over the reins.

The club turned to former managers Andy Geary and Paul Schofield as interim caretakers and the pair formed a dream team in the hope of rescuing the club.

The dream soon turned into a nightmare and Silsden’s plummet towards the relegation zone gathered pace.

A rare victory, 2-1 at high flying Maine Road in mid-March, gave them hope and three consecutive draws at the beginning of April eased concerns.

Ironically the Cobbydalers were safe when they won their last two league fixtures, but they were the first maximums since their trip to Maine Road on March 18.

They may have just done enough but they live to fight another day as a top-tier side and they have persuaded Geary to commit himself to a second stint as permanent boss.