Full-time move can take Guiseley forward

A first away win since April last weekend at Woking, coming on the back of taking five points from their three previous outings, means the Lions are out of the relegation zone.

This on-field progress follows last month’s momentous decision for the Lions to go full-time with immediate effect, a move that speaks volumes about the club’s ambitions

Not that the change for a club who host Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup first round this Sunday has not been without its headaches for manager Paul Cox.

“Moving to full-time was an important step,” he said. “We could have continued to sit there in our comfort zone, but, instead, we decided to push on.

“The board and chairman have been very brave, but I do believe we will see big benefits in 12 to 24 months’ time.

“I have been kept awake with the planning for the move, but it is a big, positive step. What we had to do was do this right, as it is a big leap for a lot of people.”

Cox, appreciating the impact such a move has on those players with day jobs, decided to phase in the changes with training now involving morning sessions on Monday and Friday, with Tuesday and Thursday still set aside for evenings.

“Employment law says you can change a person’s working hours with a month’s notice or something similar,” he added. “But I am mindful that some of the lads have good jobs and changing from part-time so quickly just isn’t possible.

“People have mortgages to pay and families to support. So, we switched to just two mornings per week at first. At some point in the future, we will switch to four mornings per week, but not yet. I wanted to be fair to everyone.”