STEY-ING ASSURES
STEYNING Town chairman Ian Nichols says his club are ‘level-headed’ about their bid for promotion to Step 4 for the first time next season.
The long-time Southern Combination League leaders have just four Premier Division games left to decide their future, including a likely decider at second-placed Newhaven on April 13.
The Reds, who finished fifth last term, have risen through the ranks under Nichols’ supervision, having at one stage sunk to the third division of the Sussex County League in the last 20 years.
Level-headed
Now, they stand on the brink of achieving something sensational for the small West Sussex town and Nichols said: “We’re pretty level-headed about everything but we do have ambition.
“We said at the start of this season: ‘Let’s have a go’. We didn’t put our manager under extra pressure.
“We wouldn’t be devastated if we didn’t go up but we would obviously be disappointed after the season we’ve had so far. If we end up in the play-offs we’d be gutted but it wouldn’t break us.”
Town have never been a Step 4 side and are surrounded at the top of the table by those who have been to Isthmian level before in Haywards Heath Town, Eastbourne Town and Crowborough Athletic.
Newhaven, meanwhile, have been knocking on the door of promotion for several years and Nichols believes his Shooting Field team can support a rise of at least one more level.
Asked if he saw them as a Step 4 club, he replied: “Yes, I think we should be. We can go up a couple of levels, we have the players and I’m quite confident that they can compete higher. We’re top of the league for a reason.
“We should be playing at Step 4 or even Step 3. If we could go up and get crowds of 250 in the Isthmian League, that would go a long way towards the budget for the first team. We have a business plan and people in the right places at the club.”
Kevin Green’s men have enjoyed a fantastic campaign which saw them reach the FA Cup second qualifying round, losing 4-1 to National League South side Maidstone United, who went on to beat Championship Ipswich Town on their way to round five.
Presentation
They also knocked Premier League Brighton & Hove Albion’s Under-21s out of the Sussex Senior Cup before going out to Isthmian Premier Division side Horsham in the semi-finals with ten men last month. Nichols credits Green for the improvement.
“He’s a proper football man, he lives and breathes it and on Tuesday against Haywards Heath we made a presentation to him for his 100th match in charge,” he added.
“I’ve been chairman for seven years and it’s not always been enjoyable but the last couple of seasons have been far less stressful!
“Now we know we’re close but a lot will come down to that game at Newhaven on April 13. That could be the one that decides automatic promotion.”