BEING a non-league footballer is a totally different ball game to that of one in the Football League. The majority are forced to have another job to pay the bills, meaning competing in the sport they adore is often put on the back burner.

Former Guiseley and Bradford (Park Avenue) striker Adam Boyes is no different, with his football career stalling due to work commitments.

Last month, after a difficult couple of years at Spennymoor Town, the primary school sports coach dropped down two divisions to sign for Northern Premier League Division One North West side Marske United.

The mindset of a striker has to be different from any other position in the team. You know if you go a few games without finding the back of the net, that your name on the team sheet is at risk. This has played a part throughout Boyes’ career and especially at his last club Town, where he only scored seven times in the league.

It was his relationship with former Lions and current Avenue boss Mark Bower and assistant Danny Boshell that helped the number nine produce his best form. Boyes scored a combined 64 goals in the 147 league matches he spent with the pair at both West Yorkshire clubs.

With recent interest from fellow National League North outfits Darlington and Blyth Spartans, the 29-year-old is certainly not finished at this level. However, Boyes knows there is one big stumbling block.

He said: “I left (West Yorkshire) because I was working up here in the North East and it was taking me an hour and a half to get to training. I still speak to Mark and Danny, and if they ever need advice on players, I try to help them out. We still have a good friendship.

“Danny was still playing so he was basically one of the lads and Mark had just stopped playing, so they knew how to get the players going.

“We had a few lads going from Guiseley to Bradford so it was like a coming together again which always helped. It was a really close knit group.”

The time Boyes spent at Nethermoor saw some of the most successful years in the club’s history.

The ex-York City and Scunthorpe United striker first joined the Lions on loan from Gateshead in 2014. After netting an impressive 14 goals in 21 league appearances, Bower captured Boyes on a permanent deal.

A further 23 strikes the next season culminated in Guiseley reaching the Vanarama Conference North play-off final. Boyes recalls that day, before explaining why he left.

“It was destined that we were going to do it,” he added. “I went with my dad and the bus didn’t get there until quarter past two. I was at the ground wondering where the lads were. We hardly did a warm up and that showed first half because we weren’t any good.

“Oli Johnson was poorly that day and he was one of our best players. He went off halfway through that first half and we were thinking, ‘oh no, here we go’.

“Chorley were a tough team so to come back (from 2-0 down at half time) and win 3-2, it was brilliant.

“It was good until Mark got the sack and another bloke (Adam Lockwood) took over. I didn’t play as much as I needed too so I had to leave.”