By Martin Morgan

Last updated 18:00, Wednesday, 14 May 2008

FORMER Workington Reds midfielder Mick Galloway has earned a Blue Square North reprieve with his new club Hucknall after Halifax collapsed with debts of over £2m.

Mick Galloway

Galloway, who had two spells at Borough Park, took the managerial reins recently at Hucknall, in partnership with Andy Miller, the pair representing the eighth appointment to the Town hotseat since November, 2001.

Hucknall finished third bottom of the table, six points adrift of Hinckley.

But with Conference Premiers Halifax facing liquidation, after it emerged they owe the taxman more than £800,000, there has been a knock-on effect throughout the football pyramid, with Hucknall among those benefiting

“I’m quite pleased that we’ll be seeing Mick again next season,” said Workington chairman Humphrey Dobie.

Altrincham, due to be relegated to Reds’ Blue Square North, have also been reprieved, for the third consecutive season. Incredibly, they have survived each year due to other clubs’ problems.

Dobie congratulated Barrow on their promotion to the Conference, though was not surprised by their 1-0 play-off final win over Stalybridge Celtic, Reds old boy Matt Henney scoring the game’s only goal.

Barrow, who will remain part-time in the Conference, were third-bottom of Blue Square North last November before staging a remarkable fight-back under new bosses Dave Bayliss and Darren Sheridan.

“The one that arrives late on the scene, with momentum, is often the one that wins it,” Dobie said.

“I remember three or four years ago, Ashton won four of their last five to reach the UniBond play-offs, and then went up. We went up the following year and met them on the way back.”

Bayliss said: “You have to be aware that teams like Droylsden and Farsley have come straight back down.

“But I believe we are a more organised side to compete in the Conference. We will relish playing football against teams like Wrexham and Mansfield.

“Mark Boyd and Paul Tait have both played at the higher level and feel we are well equipped for the Conference. We need to establish ourselves and then push on as far as we can to the next level.”