THE motivational powers of Brian Clough, John the Baptist and Terry Venables would not have lifted Dark Lane from its eternal slumber last season.

For a club once the proud boast of East Lancashire's buoyant non-league football scene, it proved a wretched nine months of blood, sweat and toil.

A quick glimpse at the final Division One table makes distressing reading. Five wins in 42 games. Rossendale conceded 114 goals. They scored only 32.

Dark Lane fans had to suffer a regular diet of humiliation and joke football as grateful North-West Counties League opposition clocked up Sunday League cricket scores.

Only the sorrowful form of Skelmersdale United saved the Blues from the wooden spoon.

Enough, you would think, to send a prospective manager running to the Samaritan's hot-line or the Bull and Bladder tap room!

Cue Micky Graham who is a former Ewood Park Apprentice of the Year and also plays Ribblesdale League cricket for Whalley. A starry-eyed youngster at Bury and Bolton in the 80's, before "a fairytale year" at Sligo Rovers where he helped the Republic of Ireland side to the Irish Cup. Micky did the rounds. From Darwen to Atherton Colleries and back before a knee injury forced him to hang up his boots prematurely.

So what makes a positively sane and articulate 32-year-old saddle himself with arguably the hardest task in the NWCL.

"There's immense potential at Rossendale and that drew me to the club," observed Graham.

"They've hit rocky times but Rossendale United, I believe, will always have more potential than the likes of Darwen and Great Harwood.

"It's a mammoth task. An immense job. I know that.

"But this club has a great status as a non-league club and I'd love to succeed.

"I'm learning all about people and I'm learning about myself too.

"I'm determined to give it my best shot."

Graham believes a mid-table place would represent genuine progress this season. There are already signs of early headway, despite their lowly league position.

A noteworthy 4-2 FA Cup win over Castleton Gabriels was quickly followed by a first league win - a 2-0 success at Blackpool Rovers. But Graham accepts it will be a lengthy process as he attempts to re-build the club with not a bean in the transfer bank.

"Perhaps the hardest aspect of the job is attracting players. I just cannot afford to go out and pay a player £50 a match. That is just not on.

"The sad thing is that the local lads are not playing at Rossendale. They are with the likes of Bacup and Haslingden. That says it all for me.

"I've had to build the squad from scratch because the players who were here last season just weren't good enough.

"However, the players I've brought in are twice as good as last season. We are making progress." Dark Lane attendances, remarkably, remain among the best in the section. Home gates hover around the 100 mark while 450 packed into Dark Lane for the recent FA Cup qualifier against Vauxhall Conference outfit Southport.

"There is no doubt that the fans in the Valley will support Rossendale if we can can deliver them a little success," he added.

"I'm positive about the future but it will need everybody pulling together at Rossendale."

ROSSENDALE will be without striker Mark Heyes for tomorrow's Division One task at Trafford with a thigh injury.

Sweeper John Hughes is also a major doubt with a groin strain as the Blues bid to halt a run of three league defeats on the bounce.

Dark Lane chief Micky Graham is tracking two new faces following the 3-0 reverse at Bootle. He added: "We've had a poor run of results but we'll just have to dig in."

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