North Wales Crusaders head coach Carl Forster has said that ‘work is well underway’ as he shapes his new-look squad for what promises to be an exciting 2025 season.
Having seen his side fall agonisingly short of a play-off finish in 2024, the Crusaders head coach has enjoyed a longer period of time to recruit a side capable of challenging at the top end of the table in 2025.
Speaking about the off-season so far, Forster said: “We’ve been busy, and to be honest we’ve been busy for the last few months to make sure that we recruited smartly, had the majority of deals tied up before the season came to a close and that we got the players which we wanted.
“We’ll be retaining the majority of the squad from last season to give us that spine and keep the good environment which we had here going, however, we’ve also added some real quality with a few Championship players coming in who will also bring with them the experience which we perhaps lacked last year.
“We weren’t a millions miles away in a lot of the games last year, so when we sat down to look at recruitment plans it wasn’t a case of ripping everything up and starting again, but more how can we develop on what we have to enable us to challenge at the right end of the table in 2025.”
With the club entering the first full off-season since the acquisition by Jamie Elkaleh, Forster also praised the work being done behind the scenes: “If you asked me to compare where everything is at compared to a year ago, I’d tell you that we’re miles ahead, he said.
“We’ve got the squad pretty much locked in and will return to pre-season training in the coming weeks, that will be stepped up from where it was at last year in terms of both the facilities and also the amount of time we’re out on the field and in the gym.
“We’ve not gone out and blown a fortune on big name players, but what we have done is put that new resource into recruiting classy players who bring with them really good experience and also ensure we won’t have any big egos in the squad which is a mantra which has always been the case here.
“I think supporters will look in a month or so time once the full squad is announced and be excited for the 2025 season and feel optimistic about the year ahead.”
On the back of a rise in home attendances last season, Forster also urged supporters both new and old to back the club in 2025: “It’s all well and good putting the plans into motion in terms of recruitment, and off the field, but ultimately we need everyone to come together and back us for what promises to be an exciting year.
“The support here at North Wales has always been spoken about throughout the game, and I’ve loved every moment of being at the club. The more people we have behind me and the lads, the more we can achieve together.”
You can secure your seat at Stadiwm CSM for the 2025 Betfred League One season with 11 live games costing just £99 as part of our 2025 season ticket package. Get yours today by clicking HERE.