Jamie's Magpies Haven't Had Their Wings Clipped Yet

You may think Chorley subscribe to that view, but try telling Jamie Vermiglio that it’s been a season full of regret.

This time a year ago, the Magpies were plotting the final furlong.

How things change. In April 2019 the queues to get in were snaking around Victory Park. Now, the same doors are locked tight. Top replaced by bottom and the world a very different place.

They may have eventually been second best to Stockport County in the titanic toe-to-toe National League North title race, but those trotting out the theory that they would be too bruised to win through the play-offs were made to eat their words.

Yet the step up for some is seismic. Chorley have moved from the basement for a matter of days this term, four wins may say to some they have been out of their depth but it doesn’t tell half the story.

Vermiglio, like his players, have maintained their class throughout a challenging season, their first in the fifth-tier for 29 years.

He told us: “I’m not going to sit here and tell anyone that the table lies at this stage of the season.

“I think ultimately we are where we are because of both boxes. I actually think in terms of possession we’ve been better than a lot of sides. But we haven’t scored enough, and we’ve given away goals that we shouldn’t have.

“We lost a number of players to injury early on. If we have those players fit, it could have been a different first three quarters of the season for us.

“But I have been proud to manage at this level. It’s a dream come true. It’s been demanding, but it’s been enjoyable.

“Every full-time club has seven or eight giants in their team. Big athletes who know what they are doing.

“Going to places like Notts County and Wrexham, it’s been a brilliant experience for everyone.

“But it’s a big step up. For a part-time team it is very, very difficult. The travelling, being where we are, has been such a challenge. We’re all finishing work at 3pm on the Friday, heading down, and then we sometimes aren’t back until the very small hours of Sunday morning.

“Then you are thinking about Tuesday’s game - as well as work!”

His job brings its own pressure. Vermiglio, one of football’s youngest bosses at 37, is also blooming early in his off-the-pitch career.

Headteacher at Warrington’s well-respected Locking Stumps Community Primary School, he isn’t only attempting to keep order in the dressing room.

“We’re still going in - schools are open, it’s just the children of key workers in at the moment,” he said.

“We have 384 children enrolled but that doesn’t mean things are easier while the crisis is going on. We ran an online Easter bingo last week. My deputy dressed up as a bunny - I managed to avoid that!

“We’ve involved 200 of them in total, and next up it’s a big community quiz. It’s important to make sure the communication is still there.

“It’s a difficult time for everyone all across the world, at Chorley it’s no different. We haven’t got a money man here. We rely on the footfall through the turnstiles - when the turnstiles aren’t clicking, there is an issue there.

“There won’t be a club in the division who don’t feel the effect of this.”

Vermiglio doesn’t believe the club were promoted too soon.

“It’s easy to say that when you haven’t done as well as you would have hoped to,” he added. “But you take promotion as soon as you can - you can’t plan these things.

“We’ve enjoyed being a part of the league and while the odds on us staying up - especially with the coronavirus - aren’t great, we won’t throw in the towel.

“We will keep working hard should the season resume. We have to be as ready as we can.

“I don’t want to be spending Saturdays wallpapering, as much as it’s been fantastic to spend more weekends with the family.

“Everyone is missing football but we need to all carry on being patient until that moment arrives.”