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NORTH Companions might have signed on for the Northern Inland Football’s 2016 Premier League but there is not great confidence the Men In Black will complete the season.
Just starting it will be a big enough task for the club which has lost two coaches and has around 20 players, many of them teenagers, signed on.
North Companions club stalwart Chris Adams said the “club was doing it tough” yesterday.
“We are struggling for Premier League players,” Adams confirmed to The Leader.
“At this stage we have 20 training for the two teams but the majority of them are young kids. We have quantity but not the quality. We need some experienced players to help these young kids come through.”
North Companions were coached by Gavin Thompson last season, he took them all the way to a grand final where they were beaten 4-nil by PL heavyweights Oxley Vale Attunga.
While Thompson retired after a good season, his successor was to have been Ben Davis.
However, Davis elected to return to Tamworth FC this season after a blow up with North Companion club officials.
David Palmer is now the NC first grade coach.
Palmer, nicknamed Rocket, has been a stalwart of the club and has been working hard to mend the club with Adams now slotted in as the second grade coach.
“Rocket is doing a great job,” Adams said.
“But I didn’t really want to do the second grade. I’ve also got the 16s and it makes it too hard doing them of a Saturday morning and then packing up and heading off to wherever the Premier League side is playing (Moree, Narrabri, Gunnedah or Armidale).
“We’ve lost some of our best young players too. Will Kam has gone to Newcastle to play with Valentine, Jake Thompson is playing with Bonnyrig, Will Menz is playing in Sydney and Harry Taylor’s father has moved to Singleton.”
He said NC will enter teams in the NIF PL but is unsure whether they will be able to fulfil those commitments if the club cannot increase its senior PL numbers. North Companions train at their Marius Street ground every Tuesday and Thursday from 6pm and would be only too happy to welcome new faces along and swell their 2016 season.