It’s just over three weeks since Paul Robinson completed his return to Blyth Spartans and the former Whitley Bay midfielder is targeting promotion, and hopes he and his midfield counterparts can be the inspiration.
The options available to Spartans manager Tom Wade in the heart of their side mean they have a problem when it comes to team selection, albeit a one they would prefer to have.
With Robinson and fellow new boy Sean Reid added to a pool of players that already included Neal Hooks, Stephen Turnbull and Matthew Wade there is plenty of competition for places.
However Robinson feels that they can all play a part throughout a campaign that he hopes will see Spartans challenging in the upper reaches of the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League.
“Personally I just want to play as many games as possible. Centre midfield is probably the area where we have the most strength in depth but it is a long season and we all offer something different so some players might suit different games”
Obviously with Matty Wade and Neal Hooks I know what they can do and just how good they are but Stephen Turnbull and now Sean Reid too, both players I have played against and rate highly, it’s a strong area.
Hopefully the midfielders can all play our parts and push the club into the play-offs or higher because that has to be our target”
Robinson will return to pre-season along with the rest of the Spartans squad later this month and he will find a familiar face on Spartans coaching staff.
Assistant manager Lee Picton was one of Robinson’s team mates at Whitley Bay and the midfielder admitted that, along with his shared love of football with manager Tom Wade, Picton’s presence was a key factor in his return.
“Tom is just a great football person so I had seen him at various games and we always had a good chat about everything to do with football. He knew I was interested in coming back and when Pickers(Picton) joined him it snowballed from there really”
Robinson left Spartans to return to Whitley Bay in September 2014 and his return to Hillheads saw him back at a club where he experienced FA Vase glory at Wembley stadium.
However in leaving Spartans he missed out on the remarkable FA Cup run that took the club all of the way to the third round, where they were knocked out by SkyBet Championship side Birmingham City after putting in a brave performance that saw them beaten by the odd goal in five.
That run was “bitter sweet” for Robinson, although he did admit that he was happy to see a group of players he had grown close to achieve success on a national scale.
“It was bitter sweet, it was quite tough watching a squad you have just left have so much success, knowing you could have been part of it but i was my decision to leave so I had to live with it.
I was happy for all of the lads though, obviously I knew them well and I was pleased for the players and management and of course the supporters too”