Albion Sports season review

NCE League Division One: Final position fourth (P38 W24 D4 L10 F106 A70 GD36 Pt 76)

Albion Sports’ first campaign on the non-league ladder was a very encouraging one but ultimately it failed to fully live up to early promise.

Kulwinder Sandhu’s men were very much victims of their own success. It was a tentative beginning to their first term in the semi-professional ranks but Albion adapted quickly and were soon tipped as possible promotion contenders.

It was a frustrating season as they suffered 13 postponements in all, some directly due to having to share Horsfall Stadium with Bradford Park Avenue. The wear and tear on the pitch caused Albion as many problems as the severe wintry weather in January and February.

Despite having to learn along the way and the constraints of a small squad and budget, Albion took their challenge for promotion right up until the end of March when back-to-back defeats to rivals Glasshoughton Welfare and Pontefract Collieries snuffed out their hopes.

Just two league games remained and Sports won them both to finish a mere three points off second place and possible promotion.

Albion were only six points behind title winners Handsworth, who cannot go up and may be removed from the league due to ground grading issues, although that is pending a Football Association appeal.

Albion were the division’s top scorers with 106 goals but no team in the top half conceded more than their 70.

The club’s knockout competition exploits were restricted to Baris Northern Counties East League domestic cups as they were excluded from the FA Cup and FA Vase due to it being their first season on the pyramid. However, they finished high enough to qualify for both competitions next season.