After winning the Isthmian South East last season, Cray Valley PM boss Steve McKimm has been busy securing many of his Champions for the side’s first campaign in the Isthmian Premier. 

Speaking to KSN, McKimm admitted, “It has been pretty straight forward for us really. After the season we had last year, a lot of the players want to try at the next level, and we have offered them and had negotiations with all of them and all bar two have agreed to stay!” 

“We’ve done well, and to have it done as soon as we have is brilliant!” 

“We always wanted to give the boys who got us there an opportunity – whether they wanted to sign or not or whether we could agree terms with them. It was pretty straight forward – we wanted them to stay; are sure that they can compete at the next level.”

“One has left and Kyrell Lisbie has received an opportunity to go higher are the only two who have left, as everyone else has stayed. So hopefully that does not leave us too much to do – hopefully, we will add a couple more, but in general, we are in a good place at the minute!” 

“Kyrell did really well for us last season. We had an agreement with him that if anyone from a higher level came in for him, we would let him go.”

“There were bits and pieces to agree between the two Clubs – financial wise we haven’t earned any money out of Kyrell; we honoured the agreement we had with him as we want the boy to go on and do better and further his career and it’s a good opportunity for him and I look forward to following his career very closely!” 

“We have enjoyed the moment of winning the League – we had some great celebrations – we have our business sorted already bar maybe the one or two we want to bring in, and now we can focus on next season, trying to tweak a few things that you made need to.”

“We’ve looked at the teams we’re going to be up against as it is a very strong League – there are some signings and agreements that have gone on at other clubs that you just think are going to be a really good test for us all, but that’s what we’re in football for, to be tested.”

“If last year tested us anywhere it was because we were playing a lot of catch up which showed the resilience of everyone involved and we know that we are going to need that and the same again as the new League is stronger.” 

“Make no mistake, we are going up to be competitive, but all the boys were playing Step Four last year and we are going to be coming up against players that were playing Step Two and Three last year.”

“We have kept our Step Four side – some have played higher – to compete in a League that is stronger than we faced last year. There are some good teams in there – we know what targets we want and need to be competitive, and if we achieve them, we will be OK.” 

“Us as management and players, will put pressure on ourselves to do better than probably is expected of us, but we are not going in there thinking that we are going to run away with stuff because Dulwich, Chatham, Folkestone, Horsham – just to name a few, and there are plenty of others – are going to be very good.”

“We know how tough it is going to be. This Club has taken five years to get to this level and the main thing is that we want to stay at this level, and then we can assess where we are after the first ten or twelve games to see where we can take the Club and hopefully take it further!”