Lordswood manager Nicky Southall is relishing the new SCEFL campaign as pre-season rapidly approaches. 

With the new Step Five season beginning on the last weekend in July, the Lordswood boss has been reflecting with KSN about his first six months in the Martyn Grove hot seat.

“From where we finished last season, from when we first walked through the door, I have to admit that we were really pleased with how we ended up at the end of the season,” Southall told us recalling, “We had a bit of a golden spell just after Christmas when we went on a really good run.”

“We had a squeak of the Play Offs at one stage – it was always going to be a tough ask with the run of games that we had which was probably the hardest run in, having Deal twice, Punjab twice, Glebe and Lydd – it was never going to be easy, but I was really pleased with where we finished as it was about right where we belong through the season.” 

“We’ve been able to keep a lot of that side and that’s been the key thing for me as I saw a team that, given a pre-season together, where we can mold and prepare, instead of having just one session a week, we can really work through pre-season and get across the message of how you want to play and the style, the set-pieces you want to go forward, so to keep the core base of the squad and add some real good players that we look to do in the window.” 

“We have got a proper under 23s now with the Isthmian and SCEFL Leagues so I am delighted from that aspect as I want a production line of players.”

“It is all well and good going to try and sign players, but I do think that fans love one of their own coming through the ranks and they do get an attachment where you really want them to do well and progress and go on.”

“That’s something that I always want, I have always liked working with the younger ones – I did it at Dover where we brought them through the ranks there and I want to try and implement that moving forward here at Lordswood.” 

“We need a core base of experience throughout the team – every team does throughout the land – but scattered around the outside of that spine of the team you bring the younger ones through; the ones who are just starting off and looking to make the progression on their own CV in the game.”

“I think a lot of Clubs should do that, as a lot of Clubs should maybe look at that as we do want younger kids and fresh players coming through.” 

Whilst the SCEFL Premier will still boast Faversham, Glebe and Corinthian who did so well last year, Southall admitted, “I think the League will be deeper next year as I think you had your stand outs last year, but I think that in terms of squad bases and budgets, things next year will be deeper in my opinion.”

“Everyone is going to be looking at Tommy (Warrilow) and Faversham, I think Erith & Belvedere as they’ve just come down, but I definitely think it’s going to be a deeper League than it was last year and hopefully we can try and get into the Play Off area – we want a fast start, we’ve already made some really good signings in the transfer market, and we can’t wait to get started and pre-season to get going!”