The idea is to always improve, says Chatham Town boss Kevin Watson

The Chats opened their pre-season campaign with a 3-2 win over Erith & Belvedere at The London Soccer Dome in Greenwich last Friday night.

The Deres found themselves 2-0 up through two goals from Chris Hubbard, but Watson’s side claimed the victory courtesy of Ade Yuseff’s hat-trick.

Chatham Town’s pre-season preparations continue with a trip to Woodstock Sports on Wednesday 16 July, before playing Folkestone Invicta, Grays Athletic, Whitstable Town, Sittingbourne and Hythe Town.

Watson guided the club to the fourth and qualifying round of The FA Cup last season, losing 2-0 at home to St Albans City in front of 849 fans at Maidstone Road.

The club finished in 12th place in the Ryman League Division One North table and Watson said he wants his side to show consistency when the new season kicks off on 9 August.

“We just need to have that consistency really,” admitted Watson, 33.

“The teams that do well know how to win games in different ways so that will be the focus.

“I’m confident with the squad we’ve got. I’ve kept quite a few players, which I’ve usually done.

“We’re quite aspirational. The idea is to always improve.  That’s what I said to the club when I came in there.

“The measure on that could be the league position. It could be a cup run. It could be to retain more players. It could be ground developments – I know that’s not in my remit – but it’s to improve season upon season so we’re looking to do that.”

Kent rivals VCD Athletic claimed the Ryman League Division One North title on a very dramatic final day of last season, and Thamesmead Town were promoted 12 months earlier via the play-off lottery.

The Mead are back in the division after finishing third-from-bottom in the Ryman Premier League last season and they will join Cray Wanderers (who finished at the foot) and Chatham Town in the Northern Division this coming season.

“All credit to VCD and Thamesmead have won the play-offs previously, haven’t they and Cray Wanderers will have a strong team,” said Watson.

“It’s a long, old season isn’t it so there’s a lot to be done to go and win a league but we just concentrate on ourselves really, improving.

“We know on our day we can beat anybody and we have done. We have beaten the top teams in that league season upon season but it’s that consistency maybe against the lower teams, the midtable teams.

“Like the run we went on, we had that. Players were turning up. I had little to do then because players were doing it.”

Visit Chatham Town’s website: www.chathamtownfc.info