Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Familiarity breeds success for O'Keefe
Saturday, August 30 2003
The widespread belief that continuity often pays off in football is being demonstrated at Hitchin Town this season with the club's young players developing a strong understanding between themselves.
But this is not a recent development, says manager Robbie O'Keefe, rather one that has been nurtured over the past four to five years. Although most of O'Keefe's team have stepped up to the first team in the past 18 months, the players have been together for some time and are firm friends.
"Some of these lads have been in our youth scheme since they were very young and in some cases, they have played in the same line-ups for five years. Therefore, they know each other well, look after each other and they are all developing together."
The current Hitchin side is possibly the youngest in the club's history and is certainly the youngest in the Ryman League. O'Keefe, a firm advocate of youth football, glows with pride with the way his side has started the season, particularly as some games have been played without six first team regulars. Carl Drew and Dean Brennan have been suspended, while Adam Parker, Chris Dillon, Andy Douglas and James Robinson all missed Bank Holiday Monday's game with Basingstoke.
"I think we have a good squad emerging and the experiences of the past two seasons have helped the younger players to mature quicker. We've said all along that youth is the way ahead for us and even the players we have signed are young, still developing and eager to lear," says O'Keefe.
Players like Stuart Maynard, James Osborn and Andy Douglas have all slotted in well and all were known to the other Hitchin players. Carl Williams, too, a firm favourite at the club in his previous spell, has seamlessly fitted in.
The way Hitchin have started the season suggests to O'Keefe that a top six place is not beyond his team. "Obviously we want the top 13 to begin with, but we have enough in our squad to finish much higher than that. This team is all about confidence - we've seen it in the way we go off on runs. At the moment, the confidence is bubbling but as the old cliché goes, we will take each game as it comes."
