Hopefully, we can keep the players that we’ve got. Financially we might not be able to, expenses is all they get, so it’s going to be difficult but I’m really confident with the way we treat players, says Crowborough Athletic boss Sean Muggeridge

CROWBOROUGH ATHLETIC manager Sean Muggeridge says he wants to keep his young squad in place for next season after finishing in tenth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division.

The Crows completed their 38-match campaign with 53 points on the board and reached the Challenge Cup Final for the first time but they went down to a 5-2 defeat to quadruple winning side Sheppey United in Chatham yesterday.

One player who impressed was attacking midfielder Jacob Lambert and Muggeridge wants to keep him at Fermor Road next season.

“This year we decided to go with the youth and keep with them,” said Muggeridge.

“We were getting some bad hammerings at the beginning of the season and then they started making less mistakes and then we went on a good winning run and the confidence went up.

“They’re all young and now the problem is keeping them, that’s the problem, it’s keeping them.

“I can’t name who they are, I’ve already got two players coming in next season, they are going to be quality. 

“Hopefully, we can keep the players that we’ve got.  Financially we might not be able to, expenses is all they get, so it’s going to be difficult but I’m really confident with the way we treat players.

“I think everyone likes Crowborough, we are a proper family club and I think players like playing for that.  They get treated well and as a manager I treat them quite well as well.

“I really need to know who’s staying and whose not, like any club.  I do hope we can keep them. A lot of them are local anyway.  Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall have got a bit of money, they might be able to throw at them but I’m hoping these players don’t do that.

“I’ll always push a player forward if it’s higher. I will never encourage them to go for money in the same league. If they get higher and money that’s fair enough. I’ll always encourage players to stay with me unless they’re going higher, which is a good thing for Crowborough.”