2007/2008 - Hednesford Town - English Conference National
Board and fans expected us to stay clear from relegation, which I thought could be easily achieved. Still with a tight budget of £14k/month for salaries, I decided to bust the team a little and try to improve on last year's position. For that, a total of 4 players were brough on free transfers: a M C from Runcorn FC Halton, a D C from Bridlington, a former Arsenal D/F LC from Welling and a former Crystal Palace D C. Only the D/F LC managed to secure a first-team place. We also brought four players on year-long loan deals: two S C, a DC and an AM C.
After a scary start to the season, we were marching towards relegation, without a single victory in our first ten games. A simple swap between two players was the key to improvement in our form. We stayed most of the season around 10th place, but a good run in the last games saw us secure the 5th spot and a vacancy in the play-offs, only to lose 4-2 aggregate in the Semis to Nuneaton.
A very good run in the FA Cup secured us a lot of money, and a positive bank balance of around £300k in the end of the season. Also, we eventually won the FA Trophy, beating Morecambe on the penalties after a 3-3 draw. One more piece of silverware. Always good for the
curriculum vitae
. That financial boost should increase our chances of maybe pushing for promotion next season. If I can hold all my key players in the club.
English Conference National: Pos:5th Won:17 Drawn:12 Lost:13 G.P.:66 G.A.:46 G.D.:+20 Pts:63
FA Cup: Lost 0-1 to Bournemouth on 3rd Round
FA Trophy: Beat Morecambe 3-3 (6-5 pen) on the final.
Winners:
English Premier Division: Manchester United
German Bundesliga: Werder Bremen
Italian Serie A: Inter
Spanish Primera División: Deportivo
European Champions Cup: Chelsea
EURO Cup: Newcastle