Clipstone finished rock-bottom of the Toolstation Northern Counties East League Premier Division last season but took the decision to drop down two levels.

New manager Micky Taylor has been busy since then recruiting ahead of the new challenge.

Taylor has brought in defender Jason Gregory from new league rivals Teversal as captain.

Formerly with Mansfield Town, Gregory has a considerable number of games under his belt at a good level and has been named as club captain by Taylor.

Taylor has also received a verbal commitment from former midfielder Tim Gregory.

Gregory was previously at Clipstone before he moved to AFC Mansfield in January where he helped them to promotion from the NCEL.

He was one of the Cobras stand out players in what was a difficult season, and he ended up as the club`s second-highest goalscorer.

Taylor has also been re-united with experienced striker Dean Rick.

Rick joins the Cobras with a reputation of scoring goals - something they lacked last season.

Rick and Taylor were together at AFC Mansfield and the striker`s other former clubs include Blidworth Welfare.

Striker Julian Topliss, was key to Taylor`s plans to revitalise the club and the manager believes he can be one of the league`s top scorers next season.

Topliss has been at Sherwood Colliery, Shirebrook Town, Staveley Miners Welfare, Pinxton, Carlton Town, Grantham Town and Hucknall Town.

A third new attacker is Danny Fletcher.

Taylor has brought the former Teversal man to the Lido Ground.

He was at Teversal as a youngster and was snapped up by neighbouring Mansfield Town in 2013, for whom he made one first-team appearance in December 2014.

After his release by the Stags, Fletcher went on to have spells with Carlton Town, Heanor Town and then back at Teversal.

Another experienced recruit is midfielder Danny Naylor.

He enjoyed three promotion seasons with Rainworth Miners Welfare and also numbers Shirebrook Town and Sherwood Colliery amongst his previous clubs and had two spells with AFC Mansfield – the last being from January 2018.

Brad Cox will play alongside Naylor in the Cobras` midfield.

He is another recruit from Teversal.

Goalkeeper Gavin Saxby is back at Clipstone after a short stint back in 2017.

The vastly experienced keeper, who runs his own coaching company and was Mansfield Town`s youth keeper coach, numbers the likes of Sutton Town,

Shepshed Dynamo, Rainworth Miners Welfare, Belper Town, Lincoln United,

Gresley FC and Shirebrook Town amongst his former clubs.

Taylor said: “Gavin Saxby is a player I have known for a very long time and I am very pleased he has decided to join us first of all as a quality player but secondly as a coach.

“He has played at a very high level and his experience will be extremely beneficial for us. Of course, we will have another goalkeeper to compete with Gav and whoever joins will have a chance to learn from one of the most experienced keeper’s in this league hands down”.