A manager whose brother is his assistant, both are PE teachers and they are meticulously working towards the top of non-league football.
Most people will associate that description with Danny Cowley who, along with his brother Nicky, took National League leaders Lincoln City to the FA Cup quarter-finals after success with Concord Rangers then Braintree while PE teachers. But it also applies to Ian and Duncan Richards who are the manager and player/assistant at Penistone Church in the Northern Counties East League Division One. That is a higher level than the Essex Senior League in which the Cowleys started with Concord.
"A few people at my work and within football have compared us to the Cowley brothers," said Ian, who is assistant head at Penistone Grammar while Duncan also teaches PE in Mirfield.
"It's very flattering and I would be lying if I said I didn't want to emulate them and be a manager of a National League club trying to get into the Football League. But, for the forseeable future, I want to progress with Penistone Church and get promotion with them. There are only three or four clubs I would leave for. They would have to have the right infrastructure and ambitions."
Former Blackburn and Halifax youngster Ian and Duncan, who was on Barnsley's books, have taken Church up from the County Senior League and are hunting a second promotion this season. While the Cowleys were losing 5-0 at Premier League giants Arsenal on March 11, as Lincoln became the first non-league team to reach the FA Cup's last eight for more than a century, Church were also suffering a heavy defeat. They lost 5-1 at AFC Campion, a huge blow for their chances of automatic promotion.
They responded on Saturday with a 4-2 win at home to Yorkshire Amateur. Andy Ring continued his superb form with goals in the ninth and 11th minutes before Ryan Smith made it 3-0 just after the half hour. The visitors pulled two back late on then Scott Whittington made sure of the home win.
But Church suffered another heavy defeat to one of their other promotion rivals Grimsby Borough, who beat them 3-0 on Tuesday. Grimsby have drawn level with fourth-placed Church who are 12 points behind second-placed AFC Emley, having played two games less, and four off third-placed Hall Road Rangers who have a game in hand on Penistone. Richards' side will now play Knaresborough who are just outside the play-off places in seventh but are ten points behind the Barnsley club.
