Casey Mulhall took over as the Stourbridge Youth Team after former boss, Darryl Knights stepped up to the first team. Reflecting on his time in charge so far, Mulhall said “It’s been enjoyable, it’s been full of ups and downs but above everything, it’s been exciting.”
Previously the former Stourbridge Under-16’s manager, Mulhall admitted the transition to Youth football has been a significant challenge.
“It’s been a massive step up for me with the standard of the game. We’re playing much better teams, so training has to be at a higher standard.
“For the players, it’s opened their eyes to the standard that they need reach, especially after last season with Darryl.”
Knights enjoyed major successes with the Youth Team, winning both the league and the Joel Richards Memorial Cup, and Mulhall admitted he has felt the pressure of following that achievement. “I feel loads of pressure, but at the same time he had an outstanding team, which we’ve had to rebuild.”
We’ve only gone and done it 🤩
— Stourbridge FC (@StourbridgeFC) May 5, 2025
Darryl Knights and his lads are the champions of the Midland Youth Football League 🔴⚪️#StourAyWe | #OneHeartOneWay pic.twitter.com/ql2GdaMOPr
This season has seen a strong impact from the first-year players, with Mulhall explaining their motivation: “They know they’ve got another year here, so they want their shirt secured for next season.”
However, he revealed that some second-year players initially struggled with complacency. “They have the attitude that they should be starting over first years and that just isn’t how football works. You play for your shirt, if you’re playing well then you keep your shirt, that’s just how it is.”
Issues with attitude team unity caused early problems, with a clear divide between first and second years at the start of the season. Mulhall addressed this firmly “If I’m being brutally honest, dropping a couple of the second years that I felt were creating a bad atmosphere helped fix it.
“It made a statement to everyone that you’re not untouchable, you have to earn your place on merit, not because of your age group.”
Results early in the campaign were difficult, with three consecutive league defeats before finally drawing with Hinckley AFC. “A complete attitude change was needed” Mulhall said, “That draw against Hinckley who were top of the league, turned it around. Getting points on the board was massive for the lads’ confidence.”
Having worked with many of the players from a young age, Mulhall finds their development especially rewarding. “I took some of them from under-13s, so seeing the first years now performing mid-week, under the lights is fantastic.”
Following the changes within the squad, Mulhall believes the team is finally moving in the right direction. “The second years are now integrating with the first years and they’re all playing like a team, and that feels like a reward.”
They’re set to face Coventry Sphinx tonight after their last two fixtures were postponed. Mulhall said “We’ll use the break as motivation, and I’ll urge the lads to look at the league table. We’ve got a good run of games coming up where we can get a few decent results.”
