Potters Bar Town boss on new Isthmian League season

The Scholars ended their season with a 2-1 loss away to Whitehawk, Leigh Rose pulling one back in the second half after the Brighton side had raced into  2-0 half-time lead.

But Mitchell and Rose are two men who have already committed to return to the Bar, top scorer Brandon Adams too, and they all have aspirations of a hugely different season next time out.

Max Mitchell, manager of Potters Bar Town. Picture: PETER SHORT (Image: Peter Short)

Mitchell said: "With the news of the pitch project being put in place, we've gave ourselves a little bit of a timeframe in terms of our ambitions for next season and the season after that.  

"We want to realise those ambitions. 

"I spoke at the presentation night on Saturday about what it means to us as a management group, but also what it means to the players.  

"We've talked a lot about players and staff being ‘on the bus’ and all laying those foundations. We feel those are being laid and the pitch situation has been disappointing. 

"With 12 or 13 games to go, on the second run we were on, we felt there was a lot of momentum and then to have a month without football stopped that. 

"And it's difficult as a manager to engage the players in those moments. I can't fault the players for their efforts but it was really difficult to pick up any more momentum after. 

"We were due to play Margate after, I think it was the Dulwich game where we got beat. We felt that was a game we could have maybe got back on a good run. 

"But that was called off and then we played another difficult opponent that was fighting for something and [suddenly] the momentum started to swing in the other direction.  

"That’s gone now, it is in the past. I’m massive on living in the present and planning for the future.  

"Can we build on this year? It is going to be a big challenge for us next year but it's one that I'm really looking forward to."

The beginning and end of the season were ones to forget, six straight defeats from day one seemingly putting them as certainties to go down, before one win and nine defeats saw the campaign end with a whimper.

In between though they lost just four of 26, winning half of them in form that would have been worthy of a play-off side.

Mitchell believes that is the type of run that could attract players to the club in the summer.

The boss said: "A big part of [the middle part of the season] was restoring the reputation and putting a team culture and an identity into the football club. 

"The things we've done this season on the football side has allowed us to go on those runs and it’s made sure we're not a team that are going to lie down. 

"We are looking to build something here. 

"We've secured our place in the in the league and we want to build on that. It's important we do that in the off-season."