'2022' will not disappear from AFC Fylde shirts vows chairman David Haythornthwaite

Relegated AFC Fylde still aim to be a Football League club in two years

It was back in 2007 that owner David Haythornthwaite announced a 15-year plan to transform the club, just promoted from the West Lancashire League, into a Football League outfit.

After five further promotions, they almost achieved that goal three years early by reaching the final of the National League play-offs. However, relegation a year later means that only back-to-back promotions can now turn the Fylde dream into reality.

But Haythornthwaite refuses to give up hope of League Two football in two years and told the club website: “We’ve been famously mocked for putting 2022 on our shirts but I can tell you the new shirts will have 2022 on.

“It means we would have to do it back to back but we know that’s not impossible. Salford did it and there’s no reason we can’t. We never give up.

“We’ve been unfortunate to go down but with the right squad we can get back into the National League and still make that 2022 dream a reality.”

Not that Haythornthwaite will be underestimate the challenge in National North. He added: “We were in that league for three years and I’ve been to most of the grounds. There are tough places to go to.

“Every league we came through was hard to get out of and it won’t be any easier this year.

“We’ve got the experience and better players than we had last time but it’s still tough. If you are not on it every week, you will get turned over.

“I’m looking forward to it. We’ll have our derbies with Chorley and there are decent teams with decent followings, like Chester and Darlington.”