Punjab United boss Chipie Sian says he has no plans to step down as Gravesend based club announce plans for an artificial pitch at Elite Venue

PUNJAB UNITED manager Chipie Sian says the club will be putting in an artificial pitch at their ground to ensure the club has the right infrastructure in place to build.

The Gravesend-based outfit are unbeaten in 10 league games, having picked up six wins and four draws and are seven points adrift of surprise leaders VCD Athletic but with a game in hand.

Punjab United came away from Holmesdale with a 3-1 win in the ninth-tier Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division on Tuesday night.

“I would love a top five finish,” said Sian, following the victory at Oakley Road.

“We had to bed in slowly didn’t we? We’re not one of those clubs to come in and throw all this amount of money, we don’t do that. We’ve just got to be patient, we’ve got to build slowly.

“I’ve still got to build a football club behind me. It’s just not me and the first team, it’s me and 16 teams, plus all of the coaches. We’ve got to look after everyone.”

The chairman revealed the club have plans to install an artificial pitch at their ground at the Elite Venue.

“We’ve just gone in for planning permission.  I think we’re now near enough been accepted in a sense there happy for us to progress the next application step.

“I think that’s massive for us and that’s my key behind things is that we’ve got to keep pushing but also build behind me and I think if we can get a 3G pitch at Punjab in the middle of that area where we are in Gravesend, I think our legacy will be built no matter what happens.

“Anyone who leaves, me or whoever, it will have a future and I need to build that. I need to make sure that something for this team to go on and go on and go on.”

Sian admits he has no plans to step down from his dual roles at his beloved club.

The 48-year-old said: “I just love football. I just love football. They’re all friends, my management team are great people. We all get on, on and off the pitch.

“I’ve just not got tired of it yet. I think I’ve been doing this now for 23 years, so I’ve been playing and managing.

“We’ve built the club, as you know we’ve won the Asian Community football awards the other night.

“Winning community awards is massive for us. We didn’t really expect someone like us to win out of all the clubs in the UK.  We’ve got it, so we’re buzzing.

“The passion just keeps building every year.  Once I get tired of it, I’ll know, I know when it’s my time but at the moment I’m too much in love with it.”