I want to get a chairman to put some money into the club, says Beckenham Town boss Jason Huntley

The Eden Park Avenue outfit finished in a disappointing eleventh-place in the Kent League last season and Huntley demands better from his side this time around.

Champions Erith & Belvedere and runners-up VCD Athletic secured promotion to the Ryman League Division One North and Hunley believes his side will be challenging for the title along with other leading clubs.

“We’d like to think so,” he said.  “We keep saying it every year that we’re going for it. We’re certainly going to try this year.

“The good teams, Erith & Belvedere and VCD have gone out, that leaves a gap there for us.

“I know a few clubs are paying a lot of money in that league this year. We don’t pay money here, I’ve told you that before.”

Beckenham Town kick-off their campaign with a trip to Deal Town on 10 August.

Derek Hares led the Kent coast club to a 12^th place finish last season, having collected one point less than Beckenham.

“We’re looking forward to Deal away, a tough opening game,” said Huntley, whose side collected 40 points from 32 games later season.

“The conditions down there, is there a good time to play there? I’m not sure. End of the season, definitely not!  I’ve been there when it’s been a dust track, but you’ve got to adjust.

“The problem we’ve got because we’ve got such a nice pitch, we don’t play on a pitch like that every week and you’ve got to get used to playing on uneven surfaces, surfaces that haven’t got a lot of grass on.

“We have to mix it up. That’s another big point we have to get in our players’ heads. I’ve told them don’t get in their heads that they’re going to play on a carpet every week because they’re not!

“It is a problem for us.  They play here and play alright and they go away and they don’t perform. People come here, as soon as they walk in they see how nice the pitch is and they raise their game and it’s a big problem for us.  In a way it goes against us because as much as it suits us to be playing football, other teams come and they raise their game completely.”

When asked about his aspirations for the season ahead, Huntley replied: “We’ve certainly got to better eleventh!  We’re too good a team.  I don’t want to keep hearing we’re the best team they’ve played.  When we play a top of the league side and play really well and we play a bottom of the league side and go and get beat.

“We’ve had that in the last couple of seasons but we won’t be having that!  Dean Harris has just come back in as coach and he gets the discipline right. He gets the fitness levels right and he works quite well with me because I’m more than a ranter and a raver and he’s more of a calmer person and talks quite sensible.”

The club have switched both dug-outs around so that the away side’s bench is closer to the stand at Eden Park Avenue so it doesn’t block the view for supporters sitting in the main stand.

“I’m not happy about that,” bemaoned Huntley.  “I didn’t know about that!  I’m superstitious because I prefer to be on the other side.

“It’s due to the new stand.  My mates come down to support us and they all stand by the dug-outs to be near me and it blocks the view. I’m going to try and get that changed because I don’t like being on that side.”

Huntley admitted he has to curb his touchline antics that has got him in hot water with the authorities on many occasions.

“I’ve got to curb my ways because it starts from where I am,” he admitted.

“I can’t tell players in the dressing room not to show dissent and all that when I am getting sent-off on the sidelines.  It’s because I want to win and that’s it really.”

Huntley added: “I don’t want to get sent-off anymore. It costs too much money. The amount I paid the Kent League last year, they’re probably the richest league going!

“I must have one hanging over my head at the beginning of the season as well.”

Huntley, who also doubles up as the club’s chairman, is looking for new investment to take the club to the next level.

“It’s difficult,” he said.  “I keep trying to get people in and they say they’re going to come and they let you down.

“We’re speaking to someone else, who is interested in coming to a football club. I won’t say too much about him until I sit down and talk to him, but he has shown an interest in coming in.

“I just want to concentrate on the football and get other people to sort out the other side of it, especially to get a chairman to put some money into the club because it’s got plenty of potential in it.”

Beckenham Town continue their pre-season campaign when neighbours Croydon visit Eden Park Avenue on Wednesday (7:30pm).

Visit Beckenham Town’s website: www.beckenhamtownfc.co.uk