Hebburn Town defender Aidan Heywood discusses life in the Northern Premier League Premier Division and making history with his hometown club.
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00:00Aiden O'See, a historic season for the club, first season at this level. It's been a positive start, how have you found the level so far?
00:07I think we've started really well. I think there's a massive step up in quality in the league, which we expected.
00:13But I think the mentality of the gaffers and the lads were, don't go in as the underdogs, go in and try and attack teams.
00:21I think we've been a surprise to teams this season, but it's still early days and we know that, but it's a really good start.
00:28Have you surprised yourselves somewhat?
00:30No, not really. I think I back myself and I back the lads and the management. We've got a really, really good group of lads from last season.
00:38We've improved the squad with the 2-3, if you count Nob's there as well.
00:44The lads that have come in have just improved from a football and mentality perspective as well.
00:51You mentioned people like Nob's have come in, who've played at this level. You've obviously got your captain as well, I'm hoping he'll play at this level.
00:58But a lot of your learning in the Northern Premier Division, do you find that's kind of helped as well?
01:04The fact that everyone's going through the same experiences together?
01:06Yeah, I think it can go both ways with that, Mark. I think we've got that rawness of, let's go and enjoy ourselves and see how we get on.
01:14And then the flip side of, because we don't know what the league's going to be like, everyone just kind of grinds in together.
01:22I think that's kind of what we're like as a side as well. But no, I think, to be fair, Nob's there, I'm there.
01:28Micky's been a massive, massive signing for us as well, on and off the field. That kind of leadership and mentality from the division.
01:36But no, the squad's kind of gelled really well together as well, which is good.
01:41Just looking at the club as a whole, it's been an overwhelmingly successful period in the club's history.
01:45When you think of the Voswood obviously starting with that, then going into the Durham Challenge Cup Final World, then promotion, getting to the playoffs as well the year before.
01:54Can you sense that momentum behind the scenes?
01:56Oh, massively. Listen, if you look back, I still remember the game that I played for Team Northumbria and there was a bit of a bucket carry to try and save the club.
02:05And I look at it now, I've seen a photo the other day of the ground, how much it's changed. Stands, the clubhouse, everything's just going up and up and up.
02:13And I think every time you come here, there's something new and it doesn't look like it's going to stop at the moment.
02:18So, hopefully off the pitch, it keeps going on like that. And then on the pitch, we're doing the same thing, really.
02:23You're obviously a local lad as well, so it must make it even more special to be part of history for your club.
02:27No, definitely. It's one of the main reasons I came. I really enjoy representing my hometown club.
02:34And now I've got a family who all come along now, my grandma, to make it a game.
02:38So, it's nice and it's in the community feel of having town, not just the first team, all the way through the junior club.
02:44It's one of the biggest in the North East, maybe it's the country. It's a massive set-up.
02:48You can see today all the kids that come and enjoy themselves.
02:51Hopefully, if we keep doing well, they'll keep coming and we'll get some good numbers in as well.
02:56How far do you think it can go? Because obviously, you're two steps away from the Football League, which is crazy.
03:02To be competing as you are in the top end of the Northern Premier League, Premier Division, how far do you think, how much further can it go?
03:10I think there's no expectations on me, especially this season, especially because we've came up as champions.
03:17I think we need to, it's not, I'm never going to come out and say, let's consolidate or stay up.
03:22I don't have that mentality. We'll go out and try and win every game and we'll see where we go from there.
03:28There's a couple of good sides in this league. We didn't see the Macclesfields in the workshops.
03:32Obviously, they'll be big tests and we'll see how we're going to get on against those clubs.
03:37I think to start off with, that's just to see how we take each game as it comes and hopefully keep winning.
03:42You talk about teams like Macclesfield. It's not so long ago when the club was in the second division of the Northern League.
03:48To think that you're going to be playing against a side that gets won over 3,000 for home games is quite scary.
03:54It's scary, but really exciting as well. They're the games you look forward to as players.
03:58I think most non-league players, they'll kind of go, I'm not going to remind you too much,
04:03but I think when we played Blighty that week, we had, what, 200, 300, I think, having behind the goal.
04:08Listen, it's massive. It's as if you're a bit like a footballer.
04:12The teams, when you go and play against 3,000, 4,000 fans, you want to kind of go and beat them
04:18because you're hearing a lot of stick on the side.
04:21I don't know if the games we're really excited for, really, especially in this league.
04:24Just looking over the coming weeks, obviously we speak on bank holiday weekend,
04:28there's a lot of fixtures coming up and the squad's going to be stretched,
04:31but I get the feeling you're all enjoying the challenge.
04:33Yeah, definitely. We knew it would be like this squad-wise.
04:36We've got a small-ish squad, but I think that benefits us because we're such a tight-knit group.
04:40You can see out there, we went to the 92nd minute today.
04:43We never roll over and get our bellies tickled, as the phrase goes.
04:49But I think, yeah, really, it's just about, as I've said before,
04:54we keep going to every game as we can and see where we go from here.