Team of the Week: Athletic on track with long-term goal

In the past two seasons they have narrowly avoided a place in the top two, finishing third and fourth respectively.

Karl Stead and Martin Booth are names that have been associated with Yeadon Athletic since they were formed in 2001.

Stead has been manager through the highs and lows of the last 15 years while Booth moved into management more recently.

Booth joined the club as a player with an injury forcing him into retirement two seasons ago.

The side’s main achievements came in 2012 as they won promotion to the Premier Division while lifting silverware for the first time, winning the League Cup.

While there was a lot for the team to celebrate, the 12 months that followed became very difficult for the club.

They went on to finish bottom of the Premier Division with just four points, conceding 113 goals in their 20 league games.

They were forced to declare walkovers and were on the end of some disastrous results, losing 17-0, 13-0 and 10-1.

Stead recalls the torrid campaign but says he was proud of how the team continued to show fight and determination, even when results weren’t going their way.

He said: “It was a very tough season. Although it was a low point I was really proud of Martin, who was the main manager at the time, as he managed to keep the lads interested.

“He kept 18 lads interested week in, week out even with bad results. He did an incredibly good job that year.”

After the relegation they bounced back, although frustratingly finished just two points off promotion in 2014 before a third-place finish in 2015.

The aim at Dam Lane is to return to the top division and give a better account of themselves than they did back in 2013.

Three points off leaders Cullingworth Youth, with a game in hand, there is optimism that they can even go up as champions.

Stead has been pleased with how his side have played this campaign and says everyone at the club is desperate for promotion with previous failed attempts having fuelled their hunger.

He said: “We’ve brought in one or two younger players as well this year to try and aid some of the older players’ legs and we all want to go up as champions, we are so close.”

The club is determined to give youth a real chance at Sunday League football as they aim for longevity.

“We’ve always tried to bring younger players in and give them a fair run at Sunday League football because we want longevity more than anything else.

“A lot of teams are folding and we are determined to be going for as long as possible.”

And with the number of amateur teams folding in recent years alarmingly high, Stead is right to be worried.

He believes that the ever-rising cost of a running a team will lead to the end of Sunday League football.

He said: “It’s very difficult running a team and it’s getting harder and harder every year.