Chettle Is Still Young At Heart

It’s not easy staying Down with the Kids so it’s good for Basford United manager Steve Chettle that the youth academy prospects can relate to his own son, Callum.

- Matt Badcock

“I heard something a long time ago where these kids are 16-19 and you’re trying to understand everything they are doing but every year you are getting a year older and these kids are staying the same age,” Chettle laughs to The NLP.

“So you’ve got to come across as not trying to be too keen or too ‘uncool’, you’ve got to basicIt’s notally know what they are saying when they speak in their own terminology!”

While boss Chettle, the ex-Nottingham Forest defender, heads up the Nottinghamshire club’s Academy, Callum, 24, is also working in the set-up as an assistant to Josh Law.

Law finished a playing career that has taken in Alfreton under dad Nicky and also saw a spell in the SPL at Motherwell and the end of last season to take up the role full-time.

And the youngsters are going well this season having beaten Port Vale in the FA Youth Cup to set-up a tie with Grimsby Town in the second round, with West Brom awaiting the winners.

Development

“Josh is another one who has had a really good upbringing with his dad and played in the SPL,” Chettle says. “He’s got a background to what he’s doing – we haven’t got anybody at the club who hasn’t played at a good level. For the kids to relate to him and Callum is fantastic for them to ask questions rather than me.