New Mills' Benito Lowe wants to ensure success runs in the family

The date was April 21, 2012 and Hyde FC had beaten Boston United 4-1 to secure promotion to the Blue Square Conference North, finally seeing off the threat of rivals Guiseley.

Lowe senior was the manager who had guided his side to the top of the table, with his son a spectator in the stands that day.

Fast forward eight years and the 22-year-old is desperate to return to action with New Mills and to earn another promotion for the family, the winning example shown by his father still fresh in the mind.

"My dad's always been a big influence on me," said Lowe, who has previously been on the books of Sheffield United, Curzon Ashton, Ashton United and Skelmersdale United.

"He's never told me I played well, but dad's don't, do they?"

Lowe had the good fortune to study the game from the sidelines as a youngster, supporting the teams his dad managed.

Prior to his spell at Hyde, Lowe senior had guided The Nash to promotion to the Northern Premier League, as well as reaching the FA Vase semi-finals and the second round of the FA Cup, following a 3-2 victory over League Two side Exeter City.

"I was part of that, I grew up going to every match at Curzon and Hyde growing up,” Lowe told The Advertiser.

"There's a video of me when Hyde won promotion, my dad running on the pitch and me running from what was called the Shed End to hug him.

"He's a big inspiration and makes me want to do well in football."

While Lowe would love to emulate his father's success in the game, he confesses the two don't always see eye to eye.. at first.

He said: "He's a good person to have around and now I want to make it my own way.

"Sometimes we'll argue about something and then I'll ring him back in an hour and say 'you were probably right about that'."

With family meaning so much to the player who ended last season as a makeshift striker, scoring six goals in five games for the Church Lane club, it is little surprise he is enjoying his time with New Mills.

Managers Dave Birch and Mike Norton both played under Lowe senior for a number of years, Birch part of the Hyde side which clinched promotion with that victory over the Pilgrims.

"I joined when Mike and Dave came in," Lowe continued.

"I've been friends with them for years.

"Mike and Dave played for my dad for about 5-10 years and it's good to know them so well.

"New Mills is a family-oriented club."

But while Lowe enjoys playing football in a surrounding he finds comfortable, he knows there will be high expectations at the club when the new North West Counties League First Division South season begins.

“We were on zero points when they (Norton and Birch) came in so to finish where we did was an achievement,” Lowe said.

“If we can do that again next year then we can be up there.”

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