NON-LEAGUE FOOTBALL: Managerial duo set for talks with players and board as plans for next season already begin to take shape
Sam Mulready scored the Soham goal in their defeat at Heybridge Swifts on the final day of the season. Picture: ANDY BURFORD - Credit: Archant
The Soham Town Rangers play-off push begins tonight – less than a week after the current season ended.
There is no time to waste at Julius Martin Lane where manager Robbie Mason and assistant boss Erkan Okay are keen to build on the huge progress made in their first season at the helm.
Soham finished the Bostik North Division in the mid-table safety of 13th position – a major improvement after only securing their survival at this level on the final day of the previous campaign.
But their ambitious managerial duo aren’t about to rest on their laurels. Their sights are set on climbing much higher next term – and they want to keep hold of every member of their squad.
They will hold talks with existing players tonight when also meeting members of the board to discuss ambitions for next season and beyond.
Okay said: “It’s been a season of massive progress and the challenge now is ensuring we kick on again next season.
“We’ve got to be looking at climbing into the top 10 and chasing a place in the play-offs.
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“We’re having individual chats with the players tonight to try to keep everyone on board.
“Realistically we know there will be interest in the lads. We won’t stand in the way of anyone who has the chance to go higher and progress in the game, but we definitely don’t want to see people moving sideways.
“Our hope is to keep the group together and look to add two or three new faces to create a bit more competition.
“It was difficult this season as it was our first experience of the league, but we know what to expect in the future.
“We’re also sitting down with the board to talk about how we can progress again. Hopefully they believe in what we want to do.”
Okay confirmed Soham are keen to keep hold of top-scorer Craig Gillies, who hit 14 goals while on loan from higher-level King’s Lynn.
