MORE than a century of points, 99 goals scored, but Alvechurch were the latest club to miss out on promotion from Step 5.
That’s because, despite a brilliant record, phoenix club rivals Hereford finished seven points above them in the Midland League.
The Bulls were rampant in their debut season since forming from the ashes of defunct Hereford United and won promotion to the Evo-Stik Southern League South & West.
It’s winner-takes-all at this level, however, and Church boss Ian Long knows his side are there to be shot at when the new season kicks off.
“It was a record in the Midland League for a side not to be promoted,” said Long, whose side will meet Hereford in the FA Cup if they beat Haughmond in the extra preliminary round.
“You’ve got to hit the ground running in this league with only one promotion spot. We’ll be there to be shot at – we’ve got to be careful of that. Because we finished second last year, there will be quite a lot of expectation on ourselves.
Expectation
“So, we’ve got to be careful we hit the ground running. It’s not an ideal start with the FA Cup game first up – that’s such an important game for us as well.”
The former Tividale boss thinks they can cope with the expectation, with last year’s pre-season signings showing they meant business.
This summer has seen some players depart and he’s been impressed by the business league rivals have done.
“This season is going to be tough,” Long said. “Sporting Khalsa have made some good signings, so have Heanor. Both sides were up there last year and have strengthened.
“We’ve lost some bodies and I’m looking to bring one or two more into the squad. It’s always nice to bring in a good signing on the eve of the season, to give everyone at the club a boost.
“There’s some money flying around – it seems worse than ever. That’s why I’ve struggled to bring in people.
“I think it’s to tell their mates ‘I’m getting this’ more than anything. They exaggerate it a little bit, so you can knock £20 or £30 off it, but that seems to be the trend lower down in the Pyramid.
“We feel we’ve got a good opportunity to win some trophies this year and have a successful season. That doesn’t seem to attract people as much as an extra £20 or £30 does.”
With a new ground on the horizon, Long is predicting a bright future for the club – and he’s hoping it captures the locals’ imagination.
“We’ve secured a 19.5-acre site for a new ground,” he said. “It’s a long way down the line, but the club’s going in the right direction. The chairman is really ambitious and great to work for.
“Ideally, we could be at Step 4, at least, by the time we get into the new ground. That always attracts attention and could bring in a lot more support if we’re doing well.
“You’ve only got to look at Hereford. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at: if you get success, people will want to come. They want to see winning sides.”
