To date, we have spoken to over 30 of those on our hit list and slowly the recruitment programme has begun to kick in, says Maidstone United chief executive Bill Williams

MAIDSTONE UNITED chief executive Bill Williams has revealed the club has to find £1,700,000 just to break even every season.

The Stones’ three-year stay in the National League top-flight came to an end after they finished rock bottom with 34 points from their 46 games and are preparing for life back in the Vanarama National League South.

“Everyone at the club is flat out and all the various departments are striving to make sure that their particular task is well in place for the start of this coming season,” Mr Williams told www.maidstoneunited.co.uk.

“We could spend a lot of time discussing many aspects of the club, from the huge stadium maintenance programme that is now taking place to the fine artwork that eventually goes into producing all the match day passes - or maybe how we all go about finding the £1.7 million pounds that needs to be found each year to make the business viable!”

John Still and Hakan Heyrettin have already added Lewis Knight, Ibrahim Olutade, Clovis Kamdjo, Jake Cole, Jake Embery and Justin Amaluzor to their squad for next season.

“John, Hakan and I, along with their five-man scouting party, started a new recruitment programme about three months ago and they had identified over 40 players they felt could help improve the team,” added Mr Williams.

“To date, both John and Hakan have spoken to over 30 of those on their hit list and slowly the recruitment programme has begun to kick in.

“There will be a lot of movement over the weeks ahead, with two full-backs, a centre-half, a midfield player and a replacement for Blair Turgott high on the priority list.”

Mr Williams revealed that the club have employed a couple of new members of staff to recruit new players.

“When I finished playing football and first went into football management in South Africa I met a very successful Argentinian manager called Helenio Herrera and he told me “Mister, give me the best ingredients and I will always make you the best cake.”

“This statement stayed with me throughout my lifetime in football and has and should always be the most important aspect of any modern management team.

“Recruitment is king and yet in non-league football there is still, in my opinion, little emphasis put on it.

“We have always relied on our managers to identify every player that we signed. But once he has done all his training and taken the team on a Saturday, where does he find the time?

“In the Premier League there are a range of titles that are responsible for recruitment. It might by the director of football, head of recruitment, sporting director, technical director or a good old-fashioned chief scout that is responsible but every Premier League club now has someone heading up a department dedicated to recruitment.

“So, we gave it a great deal of thought and have employed two individuals who also see it as vital and have started the process here at our club.

“Personally, I am very excited at the way everything is going and time will tell how successful this introduction will prove.”

Visit Maidstone United’s website: www.maidstoneunited.co.uk