Ahead of the new Isthmian League season beginning this weekend, Sittingbourne boss Darren Blackburn has been talking about the challenges facing clubs as they prepare for arguably the toughest season in history.

“Without a doubt it’s going to be a strange season,” the Brickies boss admitted to KSN this week before going onto to warn, “We’ve had a very difficult and long pre-season for everybody. There’s been a lot of planning going into the new season – a lot of preparation – I don’t think any of us really know what to expect, and I don’t know about anyone else, I certainly feel like at any stage potentially the Government at any time can turn round still and pull the rug from under our feet anyway and we could be back to square one!”

“So we just pray and hope that that doesn’t happen and people stay safe, respect the guidelines and that we can get some sort of season completed for everyone involved in football – the spectators, the clubs and players as well.”

“It feels like we’re facing a step into the unknown this year, but I don’t know why because I think it’s just by having the cloud hanging over us for everybody – all clubs managers as it effects everything that you do; the offers you make to players – how much, how long for and for some clubs that means contracts (which doesn’t really affect us), but it does literally make you think.”

“Then there’s the other thing – do you spend money on your ground on maintenance; will it be open in six weeks time? We’ve spent a lot of money on the pitch, but we don’t know if that money is going to go to waste if the season’s called to a halt at any time! It literally does affect every single element of the game at the moment.”

“I’ve just plodded away all the way through the summer like most managers have – I’m no different to anyone else; I’ve had to work hard for our signings and because we are a so called smaller club with a smaller budget and we don’t have a big flashy stadium to attract players and we haven’t enjoyed a great deal of success on the pitch in recent years either.”

“It’s been a case of keeping my eyes and ears open at every turn and using all the contacts that I’ve got and their contacts, the players contacts – everyone at the club has helped with recruitments to a degree but ultimately it’s me that makes the phone calls which are on average about an hour if I’m honest, trying to sell the club and what we’re trying to do over the next couple of years.”

“Someone said this week – one of our players was talking to a player at another team in our league – and they said that we’re now known as a team of “superstars”! I haven’t seen that at all – I’ve just looked at what we’ve had come in looking at their qualities and their attributes and thought that they’re for me and we can work together.”

Sittingbourne begin their League season against Lloyd Blackman’s Whitstable Town at Woodstock Park on Saturday on the back of a FA Cup surprise exit at SCEFL side Deal Town.

“I didn’t see that result coming,” Blackburn admitted, but he added, “the result hasn’t dented confidence in the dressing room. We didn’t lose any points – we’re no lower in the League than we were; we haven’t started yet, so in a way whilst it would have been nice for the club to have a run in the competition but our focus, after the last few years of not doing very well in it, has to be the League.”

“We want to try and establish ourselves as being one of the more competitive teams in the League. I don’t really know too much about Whitstable – I’ve not read a lot in the press about them and their signings.”

“I know that Lloyd’s been there a while now – they’ll be organised and well drilled – and I expect a similar game to the one we faced at Deal last weekend.”

“It’s a home fixture – it’s not a long trip – we’ve got to make our home some sort of fortress and be difficult to beat and keep the points ticking over and see where we are in a couple of months time and hopefully we’ll win more than we lose!!”