Darren Edmondson called on Penrith AFC and the community to team up and halt a trend of Northern League relegation struggles.
Goals from Ben Davidson and Alfie Brunskill earned a 2-0 midweek win over Heaton Stannington which preserved the Blues’ precious Division I status after another battle to beat the drop.
Penrith had led 2-0 at Tow Law Tow on Saturday needing only a point to secure safety but shipped three late goals and lost 3-2.
Manager Edmondson —delighted with his side’s response on Tuesday — said: “I think there’s been a hangover at the start of the season from the players because ‘it’s Penrith, we just get beat every week, we have to accept that, and we’re going to struggle like mad’. We started off horrendously and then we picked up a little bit around Christmas. Then if we lose key players with injuries we struggle because Cumbria is struggling.
“I know this sounds like an excuse but Cumbria is struggling to produce players at the moment — the correct quality and quantity anyway — to help Kendal Town, Holker Old Boys, Cleator Moor Celtic, us, Workington Reds.
“We could all do with Reds being two divisions higher and then they can have more money to spend on players from outside the area. Then that filters a few local boys down.
“The nucleus of young lads is here at Penrith. We just need a bit more quality attached to it because what we don’t want to do is have another season like this. It was a mindset change that was needed and I think the club in general has got to think above where we are.”
With a major stadium revamp earmarked to start this summer, Edmondson hoped the club could encourage more businesses in and around Penrith to further back the Blues and raise on-pitch expectations.
“With a bit more investment in here when we get the all-weather pitch, we should be making this place a bit of a fortress and we can try and get a few more Cumbrians in this squad rather than going elsewhere; and put together a squad that’s strong enough not to be getting to the last month of the season in the same place we have been the last three seasons. It’s a collective effort,” he said.
“The only way you’re going to get more fans on seats is by winning football matches and giving them something to cheer about because we’re not in the town centre any more. We’ve got to give them something to make them get off their backsides, get in the car and come down. If you’re finishing second or third bottom every season they aren’t going to come and watch, and I get that.”
Edmondson hopes to return for a second season in charge. “Me and the chairman (Billy Williams) will have to sit down and see what his thoughts are. Ultimately it comes down to him. Neither of us want to be coming down to the final two games to secure safety. It’s not what I want and I know that’s not what he wants. He needs to see if he’s going to invest money that the players are worth the money,” he said.
“If we’re not making our own (we have to) try and find some more from the county and say ‘Penrith is better than where you are, come and play for us’; try and find the best players; stop Annan, for example, taking players across the border — show that this place is where we can produce a good football squad.”
Penrith end their league campaign on Saturday at home to Newton Aycliffe, who were crowned Division I champions on Wednesday. Their Fred Conway Cumberland Cup final against Workington AFC takes place at Carlisle’s Brunton Park on 2nd May (7pm kick-off).
