Every season we try and better what we've done, says Dartford boss Tony Burman

DARTFORD boss Tony Burman says he wants to avoid second season syndrome after a magnificent first season back among the non-league elite.


The Darts finished in eighth-place in the Conference Premier last season – the highest ranked part-time club in the division.

Dartford reported back to pre-season training last Saturday and Burman said that he was pleased with his players’ fitness.

“We started back on Saturday and we had another session last night and everything’s going fine,” said Burman.

“The players’ have come back, they’ve looked after themselves through the summer and it’s good that they do that and it makes the pre-season a lot better and more enjoyable when the players’ have looked after themselves.

“There’s a lot of information for them to take in out there. It’s easy for them now to know what’s right or wrong. Everyone needs a pre-season but I’m pleased with the way they’ve looked in the last two sessions.”

Dartford open their pre-season campaign on Saturday when League Two side AFC Wimbledon visit Princes Park.

Burman said: “I’m not saying they’re all going to be playing for the full 90 minutes, it’s a start. The games have been brought forward to our schedule but I’m not that bothered that much.

“We started training last Saturday and we start preparing the lads to be ready for the 10 August, that’s what everyone does.

“We’re not going to win every single pre-season game and I hope that we don’t.  It’s a tough, tough pre-season regime and we’re looking to get the players’ fit and to show some potential in those games and I’m sure by the end of it they will.”

Burman, meanwhile, says his squad building is not complete and that reinforcements will arrive in time of the closing of the transfer window at the end of August.

“There’s still more to come. We haven’t finalised the squad at all,” he said.

“The league that you’re in, you always try to be patient and certain things happen during the pre-season spell and there’s players that become available.  Although it’s difficult sometimes you do have to be patient for some players to come along and hopefully that you’ll be able to persuade them to sign for you.”

Burman wants to better last season’s top eight finish and going in previous years, Dartford tend to clinch promotion in their second season in a league.

“Well, every season we try and better what we’ve done,” said Burman.

“There’s targets that have been set. We had a really, really good season last year but we know all the stories about second season syndrome. If we look at it like that you’re defeating the object. 

“We look at things and we want to improve on last year and that’s what we’ll try and do and that’s why we’ll look forward to the season.”

Dartford kick-off their Conference Premier campaign with a home game against Alfreton Town on 10 August, before travelling to relegated Aldershot Town three days later.

The Shots start the season with minus 10 points after going into administration in the close season.

Reflecting on his club’s fixture list, Burman said: “It puts everyone’s minds at rest. We knew it was tough last year. When you look at the fixtures this year you know the grounds and the teams that you’re playing against and you think there’s no easy games at it. It’s a tough league.

“Halifax weren’t in our league last year but I read they’re our third game and they’ve brought in a lot of players and they were a good side when we played them last year and that’s going to be a tough game as well.

“It doesn’t matter where you look on the fixture list, they’re going to be tough games.  Knowing where we’re going now you can plan ahead and do your preparation I think a lot better sometimes so hopefully things will go well for us.”

The fixture list was kind to Dartford last season in regard to their midweek away trips – but Dartford must travel to Grimsby on a Tuesday night.

“I think the fixtures were kind to us last year and I think other probably than the last part of the season, said Burman, who was denied a trip to Wembley Stadium after losing to Grimsby Town in the FA Carlsberg Trophy semi-finals last season.

“Grimsby isn’t as bad as people think to get to on a Tuesday. It’s just part and parcel and we’ve got in that frame of mind anyway and we’ve done the trips and we’ll just continue to do them.”

Burman has continued his policy of signing former League players and ones that are hungry enough to make the step up from a lower league.

“We’ve got quite a few players that haven’t played in the league and I’m pleased about it,” said Burman.

“Sometimes you can go into it knowing too much. It’s nice just to have quite a few of the players to have something new to look forward to.

“We’ve got players here last year who probably didn’t get as many games as they should have done last year and it’s up to them to break into the league. I’ve got eight players from last year who have played in the league and Alan Julian has come in and he’s played in league’s higher than that so we know what it’s about from our first season and hopefully we’ll get on to doing the job in hand.

“When you look on the season you want to improve on what they did and that’s what we’ll endeavour to do.”

Dagenham & Redbridge, meanwhile, opened their pre-season campaign with a 4-0 win over Whitstable Town last Saturday.

Burman signed up versatile former Thamesmead Town and Cray Wanderers player Tyrone Sterling from Dover Athletic in the close season.

However, the Daggers included Sterling in their team line-up in the match report on their official club website – despite Sterling’s name not being included in the team sheet handed to the press at the game.

Burman said: “You’ll find if you look back on it, it wasn’t Tyrone Sterling – he was training with us at three o’clock on Saturday afternoon, so I haven’t got a clue what all that is about.

“He was training with us so he couldn’t be there.”

Visit Dartford’s website: www.dartfordfconline.com

Dartford  v  AFC Wimbledon
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 6^th July 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Princes Park Stadium, Grassbanks, Darenth Road, Dartford, Kent DA1 1RT