Jay Saunders is already looking forward to his first season in charge of a full-time Maidstone United.

In the week after Maidstone United finished in mid-table in their first season back in the highest level of Non League football, boss Jay Saunders has been talking exclusively to KSN about the season’s achievements – both on and off the field – and the huge challenges that face the Stones when they go full time for next season…

We started by asking Jay how he himself had enjoyed the season.  “To finish like we did in the end quite comfortably was nice,” the Stones boss then admitted, “honestly disappointed in the way that we switched off in the last three games, but I guess in the end that perhaps our squad was just a little bit too small and it was a few games too far. But in general I think our first season at this level has been a hugely enjoyable one.”

“We were never that far away and I think that we proved that there are such fine margins in this League that we can boss a game, but not take our changes and then be two-nil down in a blink of an eye!”

“It was hard to get your head around, but really showed the quality at this level, as if teams get a chance, they punish you. You’ve only got to look at our home game with Dover – it was the prime example of that we had a great start and yet the first chance they had, they scored and that was what you were up against this year.”

“We went out and recruited well over the Christmas period and brought a bit more know how and experience in and that was a big difference.”

“It was a massive learning curve and that was the whole club and not just the playing side of it – right down to the travel and even the food; the preparation has got to be so much better, especially when we were only training two nights a week. Switching to mornings next season will help that, but it really has been a massive learning curve and I know where we need to recruit and get stronger! So we’ve got a busy summer ahead!”

It’s sometimes worth taking a step back and remembering that this was Maidstone’s first season at this level in a generation – a point that Jay agreed with.

He said, “When you look at our run in, it included the games against Wrexham, Macclesfield, Gateshead, Forest Green, Lincoln and Tranmere, they’re all massive clubs and show just how far we’ve come as a club since the ground opened five years ago.”

“Sometimes I’ll admit that I’ve had to stop and take a breath at just how quick things have happened and we’ve done so much. Towards the end of the season you could sit down and enjoy it really when you realise that we’re up against these full time outfits from big clubs, with big names, it’s most definitely the League that we want to be in.”

“To be fair the Chairman put no pressure on us at all – he always said “if we go down, we go down – it’s not a problem. For me though, it would have been a problem as there was no way that I wanted to get relegated and I’m just glad that we managed to stay up!”

We then spoke about the decision to go full-time; Jay told us, “Bill Williams and I have been on about it for a while as I thought two nights in this League wasn’t enough – I know that Dover do three and they do slightly earlier in the evenings – we’ve been doing 7:00pm here with lads coming straight off building sites.”

“I just felt that sooner or later it was the way that we had to go and Bill and I were in agreement about it and to be fair Terry (Casey) and Oliver (Ash) are very forward thinking people and they’re not people who just want to get to this level and try and scrape through each year.”

“They want to progress and it was a discussion that we had and eventually we all agreed to it and we’ll be doing it next season.”

His relationship with messers Casey and Ash clearly is a good one as he explained, “You’ve got to give full credit to the owners. Every year we’ve given them a headache by being successful on the pitch and every year they’ve had to keep progressing everything – the stadium, the squad and everything else – and they’ve done that and put their hands in their pockets and sometimes I think that last year, I remember going to the Play Off Final and Terry was in two minds as to whether he wanted us to win or not!”

“But they’ve been great and backed us on and off the pitch and that is why it was so important for us this year to stay up and reward them! To have the new stand open and see the crowds in there lately for some of our recent games, if we’d have gone down it would have been a travesty really.”

After the Stones won the National League Play Offs twelve months ago, the manager had hardly any time off and indeed missed out on a family holiday for an Academy Tour, something that he hasn’t got to worry about.

“Oh yes,” Jay said smiling, “I’ve got a couple this year – going away at the end of the month so we’ve got a few weeks to get a lot done. It’s going to be a transition moving to daytime training; talking to players isn’t as simple as normal as are you going to re-sign, as we’re asking them to change their jobs and things like that.”

“No doubt there will be one or two leave who I would like to keep, but that’s part and parcel of football and we’ll just have to get on with that!”

“I’ve already had the meeting with Terry, Oliver and Bill and told them the players who I’d like to keep and I would like to bring to the club and so we’ll start working our way through that and hopefully have a strong side next year.”

“We’ve started the meetings with the players after they had the Bank Holiday weekend to get over the end of the season and there will be lads leaving who have been great for us, but that’s the way things are.”

“The disappointing side of it is that where we’ve had so much success down the years you find the squad changes a lot as we have to change personnel which is disappointing as there are some good lads in the dressing room. But that’s part and parcel of football and sadly part of my job.”

He may not now be the rookie National League boss so just how did Jay enjoy his first season at this level?

“It’s been highly enjoyable,” Jay told us. “It is true what they say; you do learn more when you’re losing, you learn more about yourself, your staff and your players and I have really enjoyed it.”

“I’m still young in manager terms – I’m 38 and don’t feel young at times – and there’s no better way to be learning than in this level of football. I’ve spoken to a lot of the managers who we’ve played this year and they’ve all said that this season has been the strongest they’ve ever known the League and that is the case without doubt.”

“There wasn’t a single game when you can stand there and think from the start “we’re going to get three points today!” Last year and in the Ryman Leagues – with no disrespect to either League – there were games that you knew you would win.”

“But at this level, I can honestly say that there wasn’t a single game like that – it’s a real tough competitive League which is only going to get stronger and stronger with the likes of Leyton Orient coming down.”