LAMBS WON’T BE MILKING IT
Finances determine ambition says Gary
JOINT-BOSS Gary Smith reckons everything could be in place for another title tilt at Tamworth this season – but admits he’s facing an anxious wait about finances before he starts to think about recruitment.
The Lambs were looking good for promotion in the past two Southern League Central seasons, only for their push to be halted prematurely on both occasions.
Smith was drafted in at The Lamb with co-boss Andrew Danylyszyn three seasons ago and the pair have big ambitions.
But talk of any title push will be on the back burner until Smith knows exactly what they’re dealing with.
“We’ve had one meeting already and we’ll be meeting again to discuss how we move forward,” he told The NLP.
“Clubs will be struggling up and down the country after having no revenue coming in for the past year.
“Me, Andy and Tom Baillie have spoken quite often through lockdown and we want to make sure we can still do as well as we can. We want to make sure we’re still competitive.
“A lot of what we can do this season will depend on what the football club can afford because at the end of the day, when there’s no revenue, where do you get the money from?
“It’s not a bottomless pit.
We’ve got meetings and we’ll put our case forward as best we can and put a squad together that is capable of achieving something.
“We’d like to keep as many of the squad as we finished last season with. But it’s difficult because we don’t know what the finances are yet.
“It would be brilliant but we’re just not sure yet what we can do. Keeping the squad together will give us a head start but we will have to just wait and see what happens.”
A number of the Lambs’ rivals have already begun new season preparations ahead of the August 14 start date – something that is a little premature in Smith’s eyes.
“We’re not expecting to starting training before June,” he said. “I know there are clubs who are already doing sessions, but it seems too soon. I know we haven’t played for months but you’re going to tire players out and they’ll be dead by the time the start of the season comes.
“Obviously everyone wants to get back to normal. Our planning is in place, let’s just hope we can get across the final hurdle which is getting fans back in the ground.
“I can’t wait to get back to enjoying it all, there’s no other buzz than that you get on Saturday at kick-off. We all go to work and work a hard week and then look forward to football at the weekend.
“Once everything is finalised and it’s safe to come back, we’ll be back.”