Big thanks from Naylor

plenty to smile about: Oldham coach Scott Naylor (right) and assistant coach Lee Spencer.

SOAKED from head to toe in bottled something-or-other — his squad’s way of thanking the boss for a fabulous season — Scott Naylor came out of the champions’ dressing room to hail his club, his chairman, his squad and their supporters.

“I’ve got to thank the whole squad,” he said. “It’s down to all of them; every single one who has played for us this year. It doesn’t matter whether they are in the side, out of it, injured or on duty as 18th man, they stick together like the complete team they are.

“It’s rare to assemble a bunch of lads who, whether they are in the team or not, want to do the right things and are keen to help each other.

“I was quietly confident before the game because I could see the steely determination in their eyes.

“As I said last week at Oxford (when Roughyeds received the league leaders’ shield), moments like this don’t come along very often so you have to enjoy them when they do.

“This is my first championship win as a coach, but I was fortunate to win trophies as a player and I know how the lads will fee. There’s no feeling like it.”

Of the Oldham club, he said: “What an achievement! What a season! It’s great to be involved with a club in which everybody, chairman, backroom staff, players, volunteers and supporters are pulling together in the same direction — the right direction. It’s not often you get that.

“This is a huge thing for the club. We’ve done it; we’ve done what we set out to do last November and now it's happened I’m finding it hard to put into words what I would really like to say.”

Of chairman Chris Hamilton, he proffered: “I’m really pleased for the chairman, who has been to hell and back over the last 18 years.

“He thoroughly deserves this promotion because of all his hard work; all the big and tough decisions he has to make; and all the flak he has taken. He deserves just as much credit as everybody else.”

Of the fans, he added: “Success is long overdue, so supporters are really going to enjoy this.

“They deserve it. They’ve followed us all over the country and have been behind us all the way. It was great to see a big crowd in the ground and to give them something to cheer about.

“We’ve a lot of work to do now to get ready for the Championship in 2016, but for now we’ll enjoy this and let everything we’ve achieved sink in.”