Thompson confident of further success for City (From Worcester News)

Thompson confident of further success for City

9:30am Wednesday 12th September 2012 in Sport By Steve Carley, @stevecarleyWN

STRIKING a balance between youth and experience is a juggling act most football clubs attempt at some point.

Combining unfazed and eager talents with a few seasoned campaigners who have been there and done it.

Not all get it right but Worcester City seem to have done a good job if the current squad is anything to go by.

At St George’s Lane there is a good mixture of up-and-coming 20-somethings and established players — a formula that has so far served manager Carl Heeley well.

From the likes of Tyler Weir, Ellis Deeney, Charlie Reece and Greg Mills looking to make a name for themselves to Glyn Thompson and skipper Stuart Whitehead with hundreds of games under their belts.

Tom Thorley and Danny Glover also have seniority beyond their 22 years, the latter having won promotion via the Blue Square Bet North play-offs with Nuneaton Town last season.

Defender Whitehead also has a play-off winners’ medal from his time with Telford United, while keeper Thompson won the Conference South championship with Newport County in 2010, a campaign which saw the Exiles reach a record 103 points.

Nobody is suggesting that Worcester, who lost their first game of the season at Gainsborough Trinity last Saturday, are about to replicate that achievement but Thompson believes there is potential for success.

The 31-year-old said: “At Newport we had good players throughout the side and there are similarities with the squad at Worcester. Now it’s putting it all together and getting a good run of form.

“I don’t think you can say one area is stronger than another, it’s a good all-round squad and it’s up to us to perform.

“The season I had at Newport was unique and everything went for us. “I have been involved in football a long time and it’s the first time I have known a season go as perfectly as that one went. But if we all work hard as a squad we won’t be a million miles away.

“We have made a decent start, we have looked solid and have put in some good performances. Now we need to bounce back from Saturday’s result.”

Thompson’s arrival at City during the close season was definitely a case of good timing for both parties with his release from Rodney Parade coinciding with James Dormand’s decision to focus on a coaching business.

Not that Dormand wasn’t good enough, far from it, but being able to replace him immediately with someone of Thompson’s standing in non-league football was certainly fortunate.

The keeper added: “I left Newport at the end of last season and I was putting my name around and a friend of Carl’s mentioned Worcester needed a keeper because Jimmy was leaving. “It all fell into place quite nicely and it seemed to happen at the same time.

“City are a really well run club. Carl and Matt Gardiner know the game and the level and have brought some good players in. Everything is set up to have a good season.”