On a mission to make town proud (From Warrington Guardian)

On a mission to make town proud

6:31pm Thursday 16th August 2012 in Latest news By Mike Parsons

IT is a whole new ball game at Warrington Town.

Former Swindon Town and Plymouth Argyle coach Shaun Reid enters his first full season in charge with a fresh-faced squad that he believes, with some additions to come, is good enough to start progressing up the ladder and meet the club’s ultimate aim of reaching Football League level.

“I’m not playing at this,” said Reid, the younger brother of ex-England midfielder Peter and a former professional of 432 appearances predominantly with Rochdale, York City and Chester City.

“We want to make this town proud of the football club and that’s what I’ve been brought in to do.”

With a purse he described as being ‘reasonable and probably in the top half of the table’s budgets’, Reid has rebuilt the squad with purpose.

“I’ve gone for a bit more height and strength,” said Reid, who had his first experience of managing in Evo-Stik Division One North with Prescot Cables in January before being snapped up by Town as Joey Dunn’s replacement in March.

“I noted that teams that got promotion were big, strong and direct so that’s what we’ve looked to do.”

His philosophies seem clear.

“I like clean sheets,” he said.

“If you can get 20 clean sheets in a season you’ll get promotion.

“I love people to pass the football and taking care of the football because if you’ve got possession you’re not going to concede goals.

“And I like players to be fit and work hard.”

Reid, who watched Saturday’s opening visitors Ossett Albion in a friendly at the weekend, feels an early challenge is on its way for his men.

He said: “They’re not a bad team, they try to pass the ball around and it’s going to be a strong test as well as an exciting game.

“It’s a marathon not a sprint. You don’t win promotion in your first five games and it’s going to take a while to settle down.

“But early on I always say don’t get beat. If you keep clean sheets and build on that you start a snowball effect and people gain confidence.”

Town go into the season on the back of a 1-0 home loss in their final warm-up game against Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday.