United behind the road to recovery

In June 2008, 1,600 miles away in Andalusia, near the Spanish port of Cadiz, the former Tottenham Hotspur and England legend Glenn Hoddle set up a refuge for young professional footballers rejected by the country’s top clubs, giving them a second chance to find a way back into football.

Now a Newark-based former Nottingham Forest coach has applied the same principles and set up a new team taking youngsters released from clubs like Lincoln City and giving them a platform to restart their careers.

Newark United, the brainchild of Garry Taylor, a former Forest Ladies and development centre coach, are on the lookout for the next biggest stars in the area as they look to put out a new Saturday and a Sunday side next season.

It may be a far cry from the state-of-the-art Hoddle academy at the plush Montecastillo Resort at Jerez, but Taylor hopes to set up a thriving academy to rival those of the likes of Grantham Town, right in the heart of Newark.

The club, based at The Stadium on Elm Avenue, are looking to secure themselves a place in the Midland Amateur Alliance in the coming season.

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