TADCASTER Albion manager Paul Marshall hopes his new signings will help keep the Brewers in the Northern Counties East League premier division.

Albion won the division one title last season, the first trophy in their 118-year history.

It was a stark turnaround from their previous season, when they finished 17th in the table – third from bottom. “In my first season in charge (2008/9) we gave a lot of local players a chance, and things didn’t go as well as we hoped,” said Marshall.

“So last season, we brought in a few new players, a few York lads, and we managed to get promotion.”

Following their successful campaign, Albion have kept much of the same squad together for this season. There are a few new faces though, including former York City youth pair Ryan Qualter (centre-back) and Nick Thompson (midfield).

Also returning to the club is Rob Ellis (midfield), who spent last season at Scarborough Athletic.

There have been other changes taking place off the field, with Rob Northfield coming in as chairman, replacing Marshall, who held the position in addition to being manager last season. The committee which controlled affairs within the club have been replaced too by a new management team, and the clubhouse has been turned into a sports bar.

The aims for this season are to make sure they survive in the higher division.

Marshall said: “We want to consolidate our position, but be competitive. There are a lot of good teams in this league, so if we can finish around mid-table, I’d be happy.”