IT WAS an ultimately successful season for the Dennyboys as they retained their status in the top tier of the NCE League following a torrid start to the campaign.

After genuine relegation concerns, they recovered and in the end just failed to sneak into the top half of the table and fell one point short of breaching the 50-point barrier.

The club were hoping for a bright start under a new chairman and secretary heralding a new dawn. It was a false one as within weeks they were revealing dire financial troubles.

The chairman and secretary were soon on their way. They were replaced in the midst of the crisis by a committee formed mainly of a small group of dyed-in-the-wool Thackley stalwarts, who had guided the club many years earlier.

They pulled out all the stops to get the finances back on track and identified a new management team. When former Silsden boss Chris Reape was installed, he brought Paul Clayton in as assistant and the Dennyboys’ on-pitch fortunes were transformed.

Just prior to that upturn there was a fallow period, in terms of games and income as Thackley were left without fixtures over the normally-busy Christmas and New Year period.

Postponements added more frustration but the recovery was on its way. A 2-0 victory at Nostell MW on the middle Saturday of January didn’t appear that significant at the time but it certainly banished the ring rust.

The win sparked a run that saw Reape’s side reap 21 points from a possible 27 and in that time Thackley rocketed from a season low of fifth-bottom to a healthy 12th and they never looked back.

After having three managers last term, the Dennyboys will be hoping Reape and his number two Clayton stay on to build on the firm foundations they have laid.

NCE Premier Division P W D L F A GD Pts

Thackley 12th 40 14 7 19 61 80 -19 49