York City have signed long-serving Spennymoor Town full back Kallum Griffiths, who becomes the club’s fourth new arrival in a week.
The defender put pen to paper at Bootham Crescent on Tuesday (May 15), and called time on his nine-year career as a Spennymoor player.
Griffiths has been a fixture in the starting XI for the County Durham side, having helped the club achieve three promotions and an FA Vase in the most successful period of their 13-year history.
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Credit: Moors TV
The right-back managed four goals in 37 league appearances last season, as the Moors narrowly missed out on the National League North playoffs.
The 28-year-old spent eight years as a schoolboy at Sunderland and two years as a youth team player Bradford City, before moving on to Spennymoor in 2009.
The defender was voted ‘Player of the Year’ by Spennymoor supporters in 2017, and was also named in the League XI for the Northern Premier League Premier Division in the same year.
Dream come true
It’s fair to say after making 389 appearances in a nine-year spell for Spennymoor, leaving was never going to be easy for Kallum Griffiths.
However, the lure of full time football is something every amateur and semi-pro player dreams of, and that was certainly the case for the newly-signed City full back.
Speaking to the club’s website after signing, Griffiths described becoming a full time professional as something he always dreamed of.
Many of the defender’s 19 goals for Spennymoor have come from his own set pieces, and he was keen to point out his attributes as a mean crosser of the ball.
Overall, Griffiths aims to help guide City to top spot in the coming season, saying:
This was a hard one to turn down. I have always dreamed of going full-time and getting the best out of it.
I have been at Spennymoor nine years and they have been the best nine years. Spennymoor is a great club, but I think I need a new challenge and going full-time is a chance I couldn’t refuse.
I like to get it down and I like to play. I can also turn the back four and whip a good cross in. I pride myself on not getting beaten one-on-one and no crosses getting into the box.
This is a team that should be in league football. Anything but winning the league this year, I think, will be disappointing.
Gray’s speedy business
York City manager Martin Gray was clearly not joking when he said he wanted his summer transfer business conducted quickly after the season finished.
The club have now brought in four new players in less than a week, with Griffiths joining the former Gateshead trio of Russell Penn, Jordan Burrow and Wes York, who all put pen to paper last week.
Gray hailed the experience that Griffiths has playing at York’s current level, and believes he will be a ‘great asset’ for the club.
Although the manager feels his team are still a couple of players short of being the finished article, he is hoping to finish his summer business within the next ten days.
“He’s a really experienced player at this level of football,” he said.
“He’s been part of a very good Spennymoor team and I have watched him for numerous years. I have seen his progression and I think he will be a great asset to our football club.
“We’re still one or two players short of completing the jigsaw, but equally I’m very happy that we’ve got some key signings in and I’m hoping in the next ten days we’ll be done with our business.”