Sinnott started the season with a Farsley Celtic side which ultimately suffered relegation from the Conference after just one season, and finished up at a Port Vale outfit who were demoted to League Two.

Though Sinnott had little to do with Farsley's demise – he left in early November with the Celts in the safety zone – successor John Deacey regularly jokes he only took one team down last season while his old boss had a hand in two relegations.

And Sinnott, who returns to Farsley for the first time as a manager when he brings his Vale side to Throstle Nest for a pre-season friendly on Tuesday night, admits it was a double blow.

But the former Bradford City and Huddersfield Town player, who led Farsley to three promotions in four glorious seasons before departing to the Potteries, is expecting both sides to bounce back strongly and says the taste of success should be twice as sweet.

Sinnott said: "What happened last season was a double whammy, but you get them. You can't have success all the time in football, as much as you would like it.

"I had four and a bit years of success at Farsley and I can't just expect that to carry on. I would like it to, but I have to be realistic.

"Relegation is not something either myself or John would have chosen to go through, but we will both come back stronger for it and push on from there.

"Doncaster were in our position and worse not so long ago and they have just made it into the Championship. Bristol City were and they got to the Championship play-off final and had the Premiership in their sights.

"My players have come back keen and lean and we will be raring to go.

It will be the same for Farsley."

Sinnott will be hoping the slow starts which plagued him during his time at Throstle Nest don't recur at Vale Park as they look to climb out of the Football League basement.

But he would settle for the finishes he enjoyed at Farsley, with almost impeccable run-ins helping lift them from the UniBond League First Division to the Conference in four success-laden seasons.

He enjoyed a reasonable run-in last time around but, while Vale lost just one of their last seven matches, they were already all-but consigned to the drop.

Farsley, on the other hand, looked almost home and hosed until they lost their last six matches.

The wheels came off after midfielder Craig Bentham – who has now joined to the Celts on a permanent basis – returned to Bradford City following a loan spell.

In the end just two points were the difference between survival and failure for Deacey's men, and Sinnott knows from painful experience exactly what they will have been going through this summer.

"It was disappointing to see them go down and it was a bit ironic how we did well in previous seasons by having a very strong run-in and apparently it was the opposite," he said.

"But if you lose players, especially when you are part-time in a full-time league, it is going to put added pressure on."

He added: "You always look back over the course of the season and think you should have got an extra point here or an extra point there and it is frustrating for everyone involved, but Farsley stand every chance of going straight back up.


"I think Conference North will be harder next year. It looks harder to get out of that league than it will be to stay in the Conference, but I am sure John will give it a good shot.

"Last season they put some good performances and results together. The most important thing is to get relegation out of their minds and think about promotion. And it is the same for us.

"You don't go into any league just to make the numbers up. We are aiming to be successful and to be successful you have got to get promoted.

"There is no point aiming to finish in mid-table because if you do and you come up short you will be in trouble.

"You have got to be positive and we are aiming for promotion one way or another. Farsley will be looking for the same thing and I wish them all the luck and good fortune.

"They have signed some good players, they have retained a good squad and that should stand them in good stead."

Sinnott said he is looking forward to returning to Throstle Nest on Tuesday, kick-off 7.45pm, and confirmed he will be bringing his full first team squad.

Admission is £8 for adults and £4 for concessions.