Guisborough Town is preparing to compete in the Northern Premier League East Division after earning promotion to Step 4 of the Non-League pyramid for the first time in the club’s 53-year history. The Priorymen secured their advancement by winning the Northern League title in May, edging out Shildon to claim their maiden championship.

Manager Nathan Haslam, who previously managed Whitby Town, expressed pride in the team’s achievement and emphasized that his side is not content to simply participate at the higher level. “There’s pride in doing it for the fans and the volunteers,” Haslam said, noting the collective effort behind the club’s success. He added that the squad intends to approach the new challenge with ambition, aiming to be competitive rather than merely survive. “You can’t say you want to go and win leagues because that’s disrespectful to others, but internally, you take it game-by-game and believe we have a squad that won’t just go in to make up the numbers.”

The step up will see Guisborough Town competing against familiar regional rivals such as Blyth Spartans, Dunston UTS, and Ashington, with the division featuring a strong contingent of North-East clubs. This has increased anticipation among supporters and players alike as the new season approaches.

Since clinching the Northern League title, Guisborough has strengthened its squad with several new signings. Haslam indicated satisfaction with the current roster, particularly noting the challenge of securing quality strikers. “Strikers are hard to come by, but I think we probably have six now,” he said. He emphasized the importance of a balance between experience and youthful energy paired with the right mentality. “Experience is a big skill to have, but energy and youth with the right mentality can do very well, so we have a little bit of everything in the squad.”

Haslam concluded by expressing confidence that the team has the necessary tools to compete effectively as they embark on their first campaign at Step 4, aiming to build on the historic promotion rather than simply maintain their position.