RADCLIFFE captain Martyn Coates says his young squad of players are driven by tales of the club’s more illustrious past as they prepare to bounce back from relegation.

The Homer Street club endured a nightmare first season in the Greater Manchester Cricket League, going down from Division Two without really putting up much of a fight.

Club officials decided not to appoint a first-team pro or overseas player and chose to disband the second team prior to the start of the season due to tight finances.

Coates admits that had a big impact on their ability to compete, but says the players that remain are all determined to help the once proud club get back on its feet.

“The majority of the players in the team have all come up through the ranks,” he said. “As juniors we were all told tall tales about big players who had turned out for the club in the past – such as Sir Garfield Sobers.

“And no-one would let us forget about the side in the 1990s that continually challenged for the Central Lancashire League title.

“Those stories all drive us on. We have great facilities, a pitch that is the rival of any in the league, so it is all there for us.

“The only problem last year was that so many games were taken away from us by the opposition pro or overseas player.

“Amateur against amateur I would say we were the equal of every other team in Division Two.

“So maybe relegation could be a turning point for us.

“There will be no pros in Division Three, so it gives the chance for our young players to grow, get their confidence back by getting a few wins under their belts, then hopefully push on for promotion, which is our aim.”

The club’s players reassembled for the start of senior nets this month, with 16 players turning out for practice.

Coates expects to add to that squad further during the winter and is confident that morale, after last season’s problems, will not be a problem.

“There is no doubting that last season was hard for everyone, but the morale never dropped and we have tried to stay together as a team over the winter,” he said.

“We have kept going out as a group to socialise and the turnout at our first nets session was pretty good, I think.

“The plan is to tempt a few former players back into the fold before the new season and promote some of our development squad, who had quite a good season last year.”

Radcliffe senior nets will continue every Thursday at St Catherine’s Academy in Breightmet, Bolton, from 8pm.

New players are always welcome. To find out more, call the club on 0161 723 2604.