GUISELEY are optimistic of staging their New Year's Day match against Harrogate Town.

The Lions' potentially lucrative home match against AFC Fylde was postponed last Sunday due to snow but Guiseley's chief executive officer Adie Towers is more confident about their derby.

He said: "We left the snow on for a few days but have had the pumps working underneath to remove any water and the forecast is for 12 degrees and only a marginal frost last night.

"It was a massive disappointment to lose the Fylde match – financially as much as anything.

"Fylde had filled a supporters' coach and had others spectators coming besides. I reckon we could have had a crowd of 800 there."

"Also it was third against first, and they are like us – they like to get the ball down and play, rather than adopting a kick-and-chase type of game."

The contest between promotion rivals has been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 20 (7.45pm), which will certainly mean a smaller crowd.

The postponement has also meant that Adam Boyes' three-match suspension will not start until the home match against Harrogate Town, also taking in the contests at Worcester City on Sunday and Tamworth on Saturday, January 10.

Towers said: "Adam is a big loss but we have been able to make contingency plans of giving Alex Johnson more time on the pitch recently, while Nicky Boshell has also been getting more game-time.

"As for centre half Shane Killock, we have started talks with Harrogate Town. We like him and he likes us but it is a matter of whether Harrogate Town are prepared to do business."

However, Guiseley have made one signing – 18-year-old defender Jordan Hendrie, who was released by Bolton Wanderers last summer.

Towers said: "We have signed Jordan on a non-contract basis and have been very impressed with him in training.

"He has the same excellent attitude as his dad (former Bantams favourite John), but again it is a matter of whether we like him and he likes us and whether he eventually plays for someone else at our level or better."

Other concrete news is that centre half Danny Hall is only two or three weeks away from returning after the broken leg he suffered in the pre-season friendly against Farsley.

Guiseley are also celebrating a successful Academy Open Day on the Saturday before Christmas.

Towers said: "We only got about 20 attending but that is a lot to do with the timing of it as clubs haven't made the often heartless decision to release players yet.

"We will have more days like this in the near future but Dave Currie, our head of youth development, was certainly pleased with what he saw, and we tried to make the day as professional as we could with video footage etc.

"The Academy players are surprised as to how professional we are. They are properly kitted out and go on a team bus etc, and the educational side of things – they do 15 hours a week at Benton Park School and 15 hours of football with us – is also going well.

"We have also built up a reputation with professional clubs, both locally and further afield, with Ben Whitfield going to Bournemouth and Jacob Brown to Barnsley."