Gavin Cowan: Characters bring a new energy to AFC Telford

The Bucks have moved quickly this summer to tie down several new faces and retain some of their players from last season. Although Cowan is disappointed to see the start of next season delayed until October, he believes the group is coming together well.

“It (pre-season) had been going phenomenally well, I think that’s why we’re so disappointed (that the season is delayed),” he said. “The lads had been enjoying it, it’s only light training, everything is socially distanced and done right.

“There’s been a brilliant energy about the place. It’s been seamless when you’ve got characters like Jack Byrne and Lee Vaughan and Russ Griffiths coming in.

“Big characters can only enhance your changing room. That was big on our recruitment. We buy into not just what they do on the pitch but what they can bring us as characters.

“You look at the calibre of player we’re bringing in on a budget. They’ve bought into it, regardless of what they’ve been able to command in the past.

“They wanted to be part of a brilliant changing room. I suppose the genius behind it was making sure we signed them in pretty quick succession.

“It encouraged them to sign, Russ Griffiths, Courtney Meppen-Walters, Lee Vaughan, they all wanted to commit because they realised we were putting together a good group of players and lads.”