Emley AFC club captain Jamie Price is dreaming of another promotion before he hangs up his boots.
The combative defender may be 39 but he is still ambitious and has no thoughts of retirement.
Price has skippered the club for the past two seasons and believes the team can be competitive in their new division.
He said: “Obviously I’d love us to be battling for promotion, however that might take a season or two. We just want to be competitive, secure safety first then go from there.”
On the possibility of retiring Price said: “I love the game too much. I love the buzz of playing and always have done. I’ll only stop playing if someone says I have to retire. However until that day I will keep on playing.
“I’d love to be around the club and still playing to achieve the next promotion.”
Emley secured promotion to the Toolstation Northern Counties East League Premier Division after a league restructure. It’s a fitting reward, however, for two consistent seasons ended early by the pandemic.
Price said: “Everyone at the club deserves this promotion. The staff and volunteers behind the scenes have worked so hard over the past year to keep everything going.
“Whilst we wanted to win promotion on the pitch we’ll take it whichever way we can. We have played consistently well over the past two seasons and we deserve it.”
Price, a former Leeds United academy graduate, has played at the higher end of the football pyramid. Although he never played for the Leeds first team he did make over 50 appearances in a six-year spell at Doncaster Rovers between 1999-2005. Price was part of the Doncaster squad who won promotion from the Conference to what was then the old Division 3, now Sky Bet League Two, in 2002-03.
The final against Dagenham & Redbridge played at Stoke’s Britannia Stadium was historic due to the fact it is the only time in English football that promotion has been decided by the controversial golden goal method. It is officially known as the “Promotion Goal.”
Price left Doncaster in 2005 and went on to play for Halifax Town, Burton, York, Harrogate, Bradford Park Avenue, Garforth and Ossett Town.
“I was disappointed when I left the Leeds academy,” said Price. “However I loved my six years at Doncaster and to win promotion with them was great. I then just steadily moved down the leagues to where I am today.
“I’m incredibly proud of my career and I’m really enjoying my time at Emley now. It’s a great family community club and that’s what I love.”
Alongside Jamie in the squad is pacey left wing-back Callum Charlton.
The 24-year-old former Ossett player is looking forward to testing himself at the higher level.
He said: “It’s great that the club has been promoted. It’s a real family set up here at Emley and everyone is proud of what we are trying to build.”
Charlton, who had previously played at Emley, went on to play for Ossett who were then managed by Richard Tracey.
Once Tracey arrived at Emley’s Fantastic Media Stadium it was only a matter of time until Charlton followed suit.
Charlton said: “Richard is a great guy and he was the main reason I came back to Emley. I knew it was a good club from before but I really do like how Richard plays.
“We as a team can go anywhere under him and we’ll hopefully prove that we deserve to have been promoted when we play next season.”
