DO IT AGAIN FOR BOSS HAKE
when in the crunch runin games.
“It’s beyond our wildest dreams to go and get promoted,” Hake told The NLP. “You obviously think momentum is with you when you get promotion to a new division – at the back of your mind you think, ‘Could we get in the play-offs with the momentum we’ve got?’
“We had a harsh introduction! A 1-0 away defeat to East Grinstead. I think we had crisis talks after the first week with all my management.
“We adapted really quickly, the players adapted to the transition and we were destined for the play-offs with how we performed all seasons.
“But we asked the boys to step it up a gear after a defeat away at Whitehawk where people had a game in hand on us. I said, ‘Boys, we’ve got to put seven wins together now. We’ve done it before, just chalk them off.’
“To their credit they put six wins together which has put us in the position where we are now and we can enjoy the last game of the season.
“The boys have been fantastic. Full credit to them for doing it – and in the championship rounds when it really matters.”
Hake, who took over as chairman in 2017, has led the Chats’ revival with crowds booming and a Kent Cup Final against Margate at Gillingham’s Priestfield also to look forward to.
And his bold target of the Football League is already two steps closer.
“I am proud of what everyone has achieved – we’re now at the highest level in our 141-year history,” Hake said. “We’re through to a cup final we haven’t won since 1919.
“So we’re trailblazing now and with the support we’re getting behind us, people laugh a little bit less when I quote them about the Football League. Back in Step 5 I said, ‘It’s five promotions’. Obviously it gets harder and harder but we’ve done two and we’ve got another three to go!
“We lost a couple of years with covid. This promotion has really put us back on course to where we want to be. It’s great for everyone involved at the club.”