TITLE PRIDE HAS HIT US FOR SIX

ANTHONY JOHNSON says Radcliffe's title win - and his sixth in management alongside Bernard Morley - has been a life-affirming experience.

- MATT BADCOCK

Boro celebrated romping to the NPL Premier championship last weekend as the club booked a first ever adventure to Step 2 football.

Joint-managers Johnson and Morley enjoyed back-to-back success at Ramsbottom United before taking Salford City, in full Class of 92 spotlight, from Step 4 to Step 1.

They guided Chester to the National League North play-offs before a short spell at Spennymoor Town followed by an 11-month sabbatical that ended last summer when Radcliffe called.

It brought the duo back to their roots – and Johnson says this title feels different.

“This is our sixth one – Saturday was the first time I’ve stood back, watched the celebrations, people’s emotions and what it meant to them,” Johnson tells The NLP.

“People know what I am about, I am loud in terms of what we’ve achieved and I make no apologies for that. But, as I’ve got a bit older, I’ve realised how much it matters to people outside of myself.

“I look at Bernard. He’s a born and bred Radcliffe lad. He lives 800 yards from the ground – literally his whole family live within a couple of miles of the ground. They all came to the game.

“I don’t think people understand the achievement of managing your hometown club to its highest ever position in the Pyramid, how profound that is.

“To take a small football club, double its average attendance within the space of a year, take it on its greatest ever FA Trophy run and also smash the NPL, at your hometown football club, I don’t see how it gets better than that.