Chairman's Notes

Rugby Town Chairman Brian Melvin gives his views of the season just gone and the challenges which lie ahead.

"The season was incredibly tough and not the campaign we were expecting after promotion last season. Thankfully the players showed great determination and nerve to put together a run of form just in time to ensure our survival on the final day.

"With Carl [Adams] committing to the Club this week for another season at least, the work has already begun to build a team ready to compete come August.

"Of the current squad we have a few players we will be retaining as per the terms of their contracts while we'll be negotiating with other key members to ensure their commitment.

"Our ethos on the playing staff in recent years has been to try to keep and commit good players for the long term and build a squad of good characters. Ten more players were used this season compared to the last two seasons which meant it turned into something of a transition year for us in terms of the playing staff but we want to get back to our long term strategy with player retention.

"When we look back at our first season back in the Northern Premier League, we can be proud to have retained our status from a tricky situation but clearly there are things for us to work on in the close season to avoid being embroiled in a relegation battle again.

"Having lost a couple of key players last summer, we just did not get it right as a Club with our player recruitment which ultimately led to us having a squad lacking sufficient depth to deal with the rigours of the NPL.

"The injuries we suffered in late August and early September unfortunately exacerbated our problems in being able to compete.

"It took us longer than expected to get the squad where we wanted it to be and I know that there were a few comments about our long list of Friday signings but it was always about trying to improve the squad. Some of those Friday signings ultimately helped us to stay up.

"When we looked back at games during January, February and March even when results were going against us, we felt there were green shoots of encouragement and through persistence and hard work, things came together for us on the pitch just in time.

"There’s no doubt that the team that finished the season for us were by no means a team who should be fighting relegation and we will be aiming to use the momentum from the extremely positive end to the season into the next campaign.

"It is ten years ago since we narrowly finished as runners-up in Step Four for a second successive season but ultimately lost out in the Play-Offs.

"The Club is ambitious and wants to return to a higher level of football where we feel our ground, facilities and core supporters deserve to be.

"That being said, we have been a financially stable club for a number of years and success on the pitch must be achieved without jeopardising the very foundations of the Club .

"It is a never-ending process and we will keep striving to improve all aspects of the Club for the town and local community."