We have to follow in Hythe Town's footsteps, says Herne Bay boss Simon Halsey

HERNE BAY boss Simon Halsey says the club will be taking an even more professional approach for their inaugural Ryman League campaign next season.



Halsey, 44, guided the club to the Kent League title and were just one game away from playing at Wembley Stadium in the FA Vase Final, after losing away to West Auckland Town in the second leg of their semi-final showdown against the Northern League outfit.

But as Halsey prepares for an exciting year ahead, the first person on his shopping list is a coach.

“It’s the next stage for myself and for the club really,” said Halsey.

“I’ve done it on my own with the help of Anthony Deer for the last season.   We’ve stepped up to a higher league and things have got to be done properly.

“I need to get someone to come in and do the coaching and be a number two for me.”

When asked what kind of person he is searching for, Halsey replied, “Someone with a great sense of humour!  Someone who knows their stuff very well!  To do their stuff on a Tuesday and Thursday and be in the changing room on a Saturday.  They’ve got to have a good bit of humour about them.”

Halsey added: “The next addition is having a coach with me so I can do my job as manager and watch games and look at players’ one night when my team are training.

“It’s not a case of coming in and baby sit, but it’s to be my right hand man and look at where the team’s going.”

When asked about his retained list, Halsey replied, “Fine.  I’m in the middle of dotting a few i’s and crossing a few t’s and we should be there. 

“I’m talking to Byron (Walker) at the moment, same as all the other players.

“It’s important that myself, players, whoever I sign, everyone takes a more professional outlook to what they do now on match day, whether it’s Saturday, Tuesday or Wednesday.

“Everything has got to be done that little bit better next season.”

Halsey says he sees the side that pipped them to the Kent League title twelve months earlier as a stepping stone.

Scott Porter guided Hythe Town to a respectable eighth place in their inaugural Ryman League Division One South campaign last season and toppled higher league sides Ebbsfleet United, Dover Athletic and Dartford to win the Kent Senior Cup for the very first time in their history.

“All the teams that have gone up there (from the Kent League) before us have done well,” said Halsey.

“You’ve got to look at Hythe and what they have done in their first season and what they’ve achieved, where they’ve finished and they’ve done that by being very professional and they’ve upped it.

“We’ve got to follow in those same footsteps.

Halsey confirmed that he wants to bring in a maximum of three new players for the start of next season.

And when asked about his budget for next season, Halsey said: “I had a great meeting with the chairman (Trevor Kennett) last week.

“We set our budget out and the club has done it very professionally and given me a good starting budget for my first year in the Ryman.

“It’s another step for me now. I’ve got to manage my budget right.

“When we were in the Kent League last season pretty much everything I asked for the club gave me, which is a massive, massive reason why we achieved what we did, but now we’re there, I’ve got a budget that they’ve given me.

“It’s another part of me learning as a manager.”

Halsey revealed he’s had a busy period since the end of their title winning campaign.

He said: “Everyone says you’re a non-league part time manager, but believe you me, as all the other managers would tell you, you’re never part time!

“Since the season’s finished, I’ve had my busiest time, going out at night, talking to the chairman, meeting players, talking to players.

When asked what his aspirations are for next season, Halsey replied, “Hythe have set the stall for all Kent League clubs and we have to try to get near that.  They set the goal so we’ll try and get as close to that as we possibly can.

“We’ll make sure we don’t go up there and consolidate.  We want to be in amongst it all really.  We know it’s going to be hard because the club is going into a tough league.

“The club and all the supporters’ have been spoilt over the last couple of years and not losing too many games and that’s going to change a little bit and everyone has to be more patient with myself and the players’ as we settle ourselves into this new experience.”

When asked what he is most excited about their new challenges ahead, the Herne Bay boss replied, “Just all the great Kent derbies that are going to be in there.  If the fixtures go the way they should do we should have two very good games around Christmas time, which should bring in big crowds, going into some new places as well.

“Apart from Stroud (playing Shortwood United) and West Auckland some of my players haven’t been out of the Kent League.  It’s going to be great for them travelling to the Chipstead’s, Merstham’s and Burgess Hill’s.  It’s a great experience for all of them.  Just the general thing about getting into the Ryman, it’s exciting for the whole club.

Herne Bay are a sleeping giant and Halsey is the man to guide the club to even greater achievements.

“As long as we take the right steps in the right direction and we keep improving as a team and as a club we will gradually get there.”

To apply for the vacant coaching role at the club, please call Simon Halsey 07769 264 852.

Visit Herne Bay’s website: www.hernebayfc.net