Progess is name of game for Chichester City chairman

Andy Bell was content with City’s 10th-place finish in the season just gone and believes it was evidence of a team punching above their weight.

The club’s budget is much smaller than those of many step four clubs and survival at this level will always be City’s first aim.

But with plans in the pipeline for a new 3G pitch that will enable them to increase use of their Oaklands Park home for their many teams and the wider community, they have hopes of boosting income and pushing for on-field honours.

The same management team, led by Miles Rutherford, who has now been at City for nearly eight years, will be in place for the 2023-24 season and bosses are hoping many of the existing squad stay on.

Bell said it would again be a tough league to play in.

"At the start of the season just gone we’d have settled for 10th place but as it turned out I’d have liked us to get a little closer to the play-offs. That should be the aim next season but the starting point will be making sure we survive in this league.

"It will be tough again next season. There are plenty of Sussex teams who all like to take points off each other, and the away trips to the Kent sides are something we’ve struggled with and that’s something to put right."

Boss Rutherford has spoken of the need for City to improve their away form when the league resumes. They won just twice on the road in 22-23.

Bell added: "We have less money than many at this level and considering our resources, we do very well.

"We’d like to get more bums on seats – we’re averaging no more than 200 at home games – and we will always need major support from sponsors to help things tick over.”

Bell said the fact City’s U23 and U18 teams had each won their SCFL West league titles – the U18s for the second straight year – showed they had talented youngsters coming through who would get their chance in the first team. “That has to be our model – giving good young players a chance to develop and play in the first team. We’ve shown it can work.”