Whitby Town begin their 30th season in the Northern Premier League with a trip to Leek Town on Saturday.
Manager Lee Bullock spoke to us after Thursday’s last training session before the big kick off and told The Anchor he has an idea of the team and what he wants for Saturday, with the run up to the game having been a “proper” week.
The last friendly was a week ago against NPL East Guisborough, and despite being held 0-0 by a side from a division below, Bullock was upbeat.
He said: “I was really happy with the first half. I thought they’d done everything we asked. We got at them. We got the ball wide. We got the ball in the box. We looked like we were a level above them. They thought they could come and play, and we didn’t allow that at all. We took the ball off them numerous times.
“We just didn’t have that final piece, sticking the ball in the back of the net. I don’t think it’s for the want of trying. It just didn’t happen on the day. If one of them had fallen nice early doors we probably would’ve gone in a couple up. The one disappointment in the first half was we switched off once and let them through one on one, and fortunately Jack [Norton] made a good save.”
For the second half he had asked his side to continue what they were doing, but hadn’t expected Guisborough to come back out like they did, with more personnel and life.
Bullock added: “It became a more even, competitive game. So it was decent in the end. I was happy with the clean sheet, and obviously it would’ve been nice to stick the ball in the net, especially just for the confidence of the team. But they got the win on penalties, and it was a decent afternoon.”
The former York City midfielder admitted he’s been trying throughout the summer to add to his forward options but has been left frustrated with his options, constrained by the budget and players taking other options. Backing Stewie Rose, Cal Hickman and Marley Grant, Bullock believes there are goals in the team.
He also appealed for fans to be patient, get behind the team – which is virtually brand new following 13 player departures after the end of last season – and warned “there is no magic wand”.
Bullock said: “The more people are asking ‘are you bringing strikers in, we’re not scoring, we’re this or that’, obviously lads read and hear it, so it’s not good for them. I’ve got ultimate faith in those lads.
“Will anyone come in last minute, probably the answer is no. Back what you’ve got. You’ve got lads there that want to play for the club and want to score goals for the club. They’re here for a reason, because they’re Whitby Town players.”
It’s a tough start for Whitby Town’s 2026/2027 campaign with an unprecedented eight matches in August, and Bullock is realistic about the pressure that brings.
He explained: “I just want them to go out and give their all and absolute best. Because at the minute it seems like everything’s flipped and everything’s negative all of a sudden, and people are thinking these lads aren’t good enough and it’s all doom and gloom. I need them to believe they’re more than good enough to be here.
“Of course we need and want a good start, but they need everyone to be behind them and help them, because last season’s gone. We survived by a point. Those players have left.
“We’ve got a group of lads in now who want to play for this football club and we’ve got to get right behind them and granted it’s not going to be easy, there’s going to be good afternoons, there’s going to be tough, rough afternoons. We’ve got to stick together and I keep saying it, they’re here for the right reasons.”
Bullock is going with one of the five players signed from Boro Rangers in the summer, striker Stuart Rose, who netted 19 times in the Northern League last season as his captain.
It was an easy choice for Bullock who says the lads look up to Rose, who leads a dressing room by example.
“The way he puts himself about for his age, his work his commitment, the attitude he sets to the younger lads, it was an easy choice in the end”, he said.
The Blues boss ended with a defiant note ahead of the coming campaign, saying he pays no attention to bookies’ and pundits’ predictions pre-season. He rejects early relegation talk and added he looks forward to proving people wrong.
Bullock added: “The younger lads want to go on and progress and get better. The older lads are here because they want to play and they want to be here. So let’s give them a right good chance, give them the opportunity, and get right behind them.”
Squad
Almost the entire squad are newly signed for the coming campaign, with only defender Callum Wilson and midfielders Tommy Dowson, Adam Gell and Jack Kilpatrick remaining:
Goalkeepers:
Jack Norton (Bishop Auckland)
Oli Swan (Boro Rangers)
Defenders:
Joey Puethi (Cleethorpes Town)
Stan Hewitt (Bridlington Town)
James Dillon (Boro Rangers)
Charlie Stirland (Blyth Spartans)
Louis Gibson-Booth (Cleethorpes Town)
Callum Wilson (retained)
Midfielders:
Adam Gell (retained)
Tommy Dowson (retained)
Jack Kilpatrick (retained)
Muhamet Gashi (FC Hound Dog, Gibraltar)
Lucas Reed (Manchester 62, Gibraltar)
Sam Kay (Stocksbridge PS)
Ben Turner (Boro Rangers)
Calum Hickman (Boro Rangers)
Forwards:
Stuart Rose (c) (Boro Rangers)
Marley Grant (Sherwood Colliery)
