Title winners link up with boss Setchell again at Steelmen

The Steelmen have snapped up two midfielders who were part of manager Gary Setchell’s Step 4 title-winning squad at Bedford Town in the 2021/22 campaign.

Joe Butterworth has linked up with his former manager, as well as ex-Bedford team-mate Charley Sanders who is already at Corby, having scored six goals in 21 appearances in that title-winning season while he was a virtual ever-present for the Eagles in the last campaign, featuring 39 times at Step 3.

And also arriving at Steel Park is the manager’s son Danny Setchell, who was an integral part of that Bedford team in 2021/22 as he scored 10 goals in 39 appearances while also picking up the supporters’ player of the year away before being frozen out following Setchell senior’s departure from the club.

Setchell junior has featured for the likes of King’s Lynn Town, Wisbech and Stamford in the past while he also had a previous spell at Corby in 2017.

The two new arrivals add to the 12 players who have agreed to stay on at Corby from last season.

And the Steelmen boss said: “Both players have worked with me before and know the demands I put on my players.

“They have both won a league at this level so have that experience as well.

“With us having Slinny (Matty Slinn) and Tristan (Thompson-Matthews), the addition of these two will give us great competition for places which can only be healthy.”

The Steelmen, meanwhile, have now finalised their pre-season friendly programme.

They have added away matches at Stamford and National League North side King’s Lynn while they will now host Biggleswade FC in what will be their final friendly of the summer.

Corby Town pre-season friendlies – Saturday, July 8: Deeping Rangers (A), Tuesday, July 11: Real Bedford (A), Saturday, July 15: Coalville Town (H), Tuesday, July 18: Peterborough Sports (A), Saturday, July 22: Kettering Town (H), Tuesday, July 25: Stamford (A), Saturday, July 29: King’s Lynn Town (A), Saturday, August 5: Biggleswade FC (H).