Newly-promoted Hanley Town FC are optimistic the experience of their former Stoke stars can help them with the step up as they prepare for life at a new level.

Hanley earned promotion to the Pitching In Northern Premier League Division One West in convincing fashion, finishing nine points clear at the top of the table, and reached the FA Cup third qualifying round before being knocked out at the hands of Brackley Town.

They started their journey towards surpassing that achievement with a 5-1 win at Hereford Lads Club in the extra preliminary round on Saturday and chairman Ronald McIlreavy is hoping his side can go one better this season.

McIlreavy said: “Reaching the third qualifying round was actually a record for the football club and we were also shown live on the BBC for our home game against Brackley.

“We drew against Brackley at home, who were a well-established Conference North side, and then lost in the replay 1-0. So it was two really, really close games.

“We’ll try to get as far in that competition as possible, but obviously it’s the luck of the draw. Fingers crossed!”

At the core of Hanley’s set-up are a number of notable figures from the Potters’ Premier League heyday, with Carl Dickinson managing a side including Ryan Shotton, while former Football League hotshot Chris Dagnall also represents the club.

With Premier League experience to boast, McIlreavy is hopeful Hanley will be able to cope with the challenges playing at Step 4 will pose.

“I see it 4 as a really, really big step up from Step 5,” he added.

“However, with some of the players [who’ve played in the Premier League] and some of the players we’ve brought in over the summer, we’ll hopefully be able to cope with that step up.”

Off the pitch, promotion can pose an array of challenges that can strain clubs who look to improve facilities to cope with the step up.

The value of volunteers comes even further to the fore in such circumstances and Northern Premier League partners Pitching In have this summer set up a Volunteer Hub to advertise opportunities and link willing helpers with their local club.

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of all non-league clubs,” McIlreavy said. “Without volunteers, clubs can’t survive, it’s that simple.

“I can talk all day about it on it but it’s quite simple. No volunteers, no football club.

“They’re fantastic people who give up their time, helping around the ground. Volunteers are just incredible people.”

Ladbrokes, with the support of its owner Entain, has launched a multi-million-pound investment programme, Pitching In, designed to support and promote grassroots sports. For more details see: https://entaingroup.com/sustainability/pitching-in/