Dale Belford: Buckle up for Stafford Rangers rollercoaster ride
Dale Belford has told Stafford Rangers supporters to “fasten their seatbelts and enjoy the ride” as he aims to lead his side up the Northern One West table.
The new Rangers boss, who took over following Dave Cooke’s resignation, led Boro to a promising 5-0 victory last Saturday before a narrow midweek defeat to Nantwich Town.
Belford said that nobody at the club will be working harder than him to claw Rangers away from the danger zone and towards the top half of the table as they currently sit 18th ahead of a trip to Wilton Albion tomorrow.
Whilst as an assistant at the club, Belford described being at the Rangers like riding a rollercoaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Asked what stage the club is at on that ride now, Belford said: “I think we’ve only just bought the ticket. So, fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride!
“It’s going to be ups and downs. The way we play, we’re going to come unstuck now and again.
“And if we come unstuck, it might not be easy on the eye, but that’s the way we want to play.
“Sometimes it goes well, and when it doesn’t go so well, as a manager, you feel the pain. But, if you’ve got good people around you like I have, it makes it easier.
“But rest assured, we’ll be working as hard as we possibly can to get this club back to where it needs to be.
“I think in the first games we’ve had we’ve shown that we’re competitive in this league now.”
Rangers welcomed back striker and top-scorer of last season Kaiman Anderson from troubled Walsall Wood earlier this month. Anderson netted his first goals since returning this week, following up a double with Stafford’s only goal against Nantwich.
“He shouldn’t have gone in the first place,” added Belford. “Kaiman is a great kid. It didn’t go as well as he wanted to last year and I think it hurt him as it hurt us all. I think he made that to decision to go to Walsall Wood based on what happened last season (relegation). But, when the opportunity arose to bring him back, we had a real chat about it. Kaiman does what Kaiman does. He scores goals and works hard.”
Belford, who has been at the club since 2021 and served as an assistant to both Matt Hill and Dave Cooke, has seen Stafford fall out of the Northern Premier League last season and to step four football.
Asked if there was any doubt over taking the managerial role, Belford said: “Dave’s a fantastic guy and I didn’t want it to affect my relationship with him.
“I had to have a lot of thought on it, but in the end I’ve always been a manager.
“When I came here I decided to be an assistant to Matty. I enjoyed the role, but I think that this is a massive football club and it presents this opportunity for me, then I thought, well, you know, ‘take it’.“But if you’re going to take it, make sure, you know, you do the right things and you work as hard as you can. There’ll be nobody working harder the me.”
Elsewhere, Hednesford Town will be looking to extend their nine-match unbeaten run in all competitions when they play host to Atherton Collieries in the Northern Premier League North West.
In the Northern Premier League Midlands Division, fourth-place Darlaston Town welcome league leaders Corby Town to the PayCare Stadium while Lye Town travel to seventh-place Sutton Coldfield Town. Meanwhile, Chasetown host Belper Town and Sporting Khalsa travel to Barwell in the FA Trophy first round.
