GUISELEY chairman Phil Rogerson is determined to keep the family atmosphere as his club prepares to play in the Vanarama National League next season.

The champagne corks were still popping when Rogerson started to assess the big challenges that lie ahead.

But as his mind turned towards such issues as the club’s plans to improve their Nethermoor ground, admission prices, and budgets, retaining the club’s homely feel was top of his list.

“A lot of people have taken us over the line, Steve Parkin, the other directors and John Gill.

“And then there is the vast army of volunteers who are there every game, it is just amazing. I hope we can retain that family atmosphere,” said a proud Rogerson.

He has been with the club every step of the way on their remarkable journey over the past 25 years which has seen them rise from the Northern Counties East League to the fifth tier of English football as well as making two appearances at Wembley in the FA Vase.

Rogerson said: “Lots of our supporters have been with us all the way, but one of the big things we have done in recent years is to appeal to a younger audience and through the use of social media we have brought down the average age of our fan base.”

The Vanarama National League will open up new revenue streams for the club through TV monies and sponsorship and it will bring exemptions in the major cup competitions. Guiseley will not enter the FA Cup until the fourth qualifying round and the FA Trophy until the first round.

The biggest challenge is getting planning approval for the revamp of Nethermoor which will enable them to expand its capacity to 4,000, a target they have to achieve by next March.

Rogerson, who keeps a tight control on the club’s finances, admits that they need to set a competitive budget for manager Mark Bower so that he can strengthen his squad.

And he confirmed that the club will not be going full-time like many of their rivals.

The loyalty of the club’s supporters is clearly something Rogerson values and he is hoping that the new match-day admission and season ticket prices, which will be announced shortly, will prove to be both affordable and attractive.

Guiseley are preparing to rub shoulders with the big boys of non-league football, but as Rogerson points out: “We must not forget where we have come from or the people who have got us to where we are today.

“It’s remarkable what Mark Bower and the players have achieved on the field and I am confident we have the structure to cope with the new challenges off the field too. There’s a lot of work ahead and it starts right now.”