Non-League Correspondent Colin Stoner on Ryan Young joining a club his dad faced...

The Young family could be excused for playing their own version of the generation game at Redditch United next season.

Goalkeeper Ryan is one of several new faces in Rod Brown's summer influx after switching from Hednesford Town.

But the highly-rated custodian's father, Dale, used to line up against the Reds in the 1970s and 1980s when he was a non-League player on the South Coast.

"My dad was a central midfielder - or rather a hacker in midfield!" joked Young. "He played for a few teams down on the South Coast including Fareham and he remembers playing against Phil Parkes when he was at Redditch. He has played against Redditch more than I have!

"My dad lives down on the Isle of Wight but he comes to watch me religiously. He still enjoys being involved though he does get nervous."

The tensions were never more intense when Young senior watched his son feature in the FA Trophy final 12 months ago when the Pitmen produced the biggest FA Trophy final upset to defeat Canvey Island.

Young senior, who had paid for the club's speciallytailored suits for the Villa Park showpiece, shared the Champagne moments in the dressing-room afterwards.

"Having my dad there was special," said Young. "Luckily we were able to get him into the changing rooms and he loved every minute. He was there when I picked up the Trophy and that has been the best thing in my career."

Such memories will remain forever untarnished in technicolour clarity and Young can also add a promotion play-off success with the Pitmen this May to his store of favourite moments.

But after two years at Hednesford he says the chance to join the Redditch revolution was too tempting to refuse.

The Reds made a twodivision jump last season and still finished in the top eight of the Nationwide North and manager Rod Brown has signalled the club's determination to push for the non-League elite with the calibre of new signings.

Young has been joined by former Pitmen team-mate Carl Palmer while Lee Jenkins (Kidderminster Harriers), John Williams (Bath City), Craig Wilding (Stafford Rangers), Wayne Thomas (ex-Walsall) and Chris Murphy (Cheltenham) have also been recruited.

Young will also be reunited with Barry Powell, who took him to Hednesford in 2003 from Hucknall, and Phil Parkes, the Hednesford goalkeeping coach, in a revamped Reds coaching set-up.

"It was quite a tough decision to leave Hednesford because it is my home-town club," said Young. "But when I spoke to Rod and he explained Redditch's ambitions that made up my mind.

"I had two good years at Hednesford and I have to thank them for what they did for me. I won the Trophy, I got promoted. It couldn't get much better and I don't think I let them down. I just needed a fresh challenge."

Young had been on Plymouth Argyle's books as a youngster before moving to Chasetown. Nuneaton Borough snapped him up but he couldn't dislodge then No 1 Chris Mackenzie from the first team and switched to Hucknall Town.

Young can expect a flurry of reunions next season with Boro, FA Trophy finalists Hucknall and Hednesford all being league rivals.

"I played in the UniBond with Hucknall and that was a physically strong league," said Young.

"But once you get used to the physical side, the better footballers will come out on top. You look at the Redditch squad and there are plenty of good footballers who know what is required.

"Reaching the play-offs will be the minimum target."