Lower Breck manager Gary Moore is eyeing developments and growth off the pitch as he approaches 400 games in charge as manager.
The milestone will be reached this weekend when they travel to Burscough. They go into their clash with Linnets on the back of their 4-0 win over Wythenshawe Town.
For Lower Breck as the historic achievement looms, it marks an opportunity to reflect on what they have accomplished since their rise through the leagues.
“I’m not really one who likes to go on about it but it’s unbelievable, from where we’ve come from, where we started,” he said speaking to Off The Park. “It was one man and his dog type of thing, to go up the pyramid and be where we are now to see what we’ve done – with the help of Anfield Sports – we wouldn’t be where we are.
“To see that, keep climbing the pyramid, it’s [a] super proud moment but don’t really like to go too much on it.”
On and off the pitch, Moore and his side have encountered obstacles. During the summer, there were harsh words across the board as they capitulated in the second-half of the season which saw them plummet to just outside the relegation zone.
A bright start was soon extinguished by a sobering defeat away at Longridge Town which spelt a tidal change.
“I didn’t think I was seeing 400 at the back end of last season, there was questions asked,” the Breck boss revealed.
“I asked myself a lot of questions last year, I have this year especially after the Longridge game I thought this could be [it], I’ve built a side this year, we went all out and we were disappointed with where we were. But that’s no slight on the players, we’ve made mistakes ourselves.
“We ask ourselves [questions] every week, did I think I was getting to 400? Not a chance. When we put that first team together did we think we’d get to 50? Not with some of them. Hats off to everyone who’s been apart of the journey because it’s been unbelievable but let’s see if we can get to 500.
“It’s hard [to rank wins] but we’ve had some unbelievable wins but that’s going to be right up there because they are a quality side,” Moore continued, trying to list their emphatic win over Town amongst their most iconic triumphs.
“I get a lot of respect about what we’ve built, it’s one of those things where you do sit back and reflect, we did that during COVID when stats get put out and you think ‘look what we have achieved’.
“But without blowing my own trumpet, it’s been a one-man band to a certain point but when we’ve gone into non-league, built a committee and I’m quite demanding off the pitch, I’ll do their jobs if they’re not doing it but it’s unbelievable to be where we are.
“But we just don’t want to be here, we don’t want to just make the numbers up, we don’t want to stop there. But we need backing, nights like tonight, we need bigger gates, local communities to back us as well, we’re doing all we can, so another good night for the club.”
This weekend it’s a trip to Bobby Langton Way as they visit Burscough, who sit at the foot of the North West Counties Premier Division table.
Moore is more than aware that standards can slip between the short turnaround but he is taking positives from their display against Congleton, which came days after their win over AFC Liverpool, despite it ending in defeat.
He continued: “It’s another tough game, Burscough have had a lot better performances in recent weeks, I’ve not seen them but results speak for themselves.
“You’ve got to go there buoyant but we’ve struggled Thursday/Saturday this season, something we’ve never struggled with but when we went to Congleton on the Saturday, we were really good so we’ve got to recreate that.
“Do the same thing on Saturday, it’ll be tough but it’s a cracking surface up there at Burscough. Just got to go put that same level of performance in, it’ll be tough, but if we want to keep pushing the teams above, if you can’t finish second, you finish second, if you can’t finish third, you finish fourth so the only way we’re going to do it is by winning games.
“They’re three big teams [Wythenshawe, AFC Liverpool and Bury], it’s clean sheets in those three games as well but you’ve got to back it up, we backed it up at Congleton, we don’t know how we didn’t come away with anything. So we did back it up but we’ve got to do it again Saturday or it will mean nothing but let them enjoy tonight first.”
