WE’RE IN AN ABBEY PLACE
OPTIMISTIC boss Billy Holland reckons Waltham Abbey have a great shot at promotion – he just wishes he could have a full squad to pick from.
The Abbotts are in the Division One Central play-off places and Holland is targeting a strong finish to the season.
But he knows their chances will be even better when they fully fit and firing.
“We’ve got eight games of football left,” the Abbey chief said. “If we can get in the play-offs with a squad that’s half-fit, then we have a really good chance. On our day it will take a very good team to beat us.
“We keep getting suspensions at the moment, so we’re constantly chopping and changing the team. If we get everyone back, pull a player in, and get the squad up to full strength, I’m very positive of getting there.”
Foundations
Holland worked alongside Michael Spencer as player manager for three seasons before taking over the reins himself earlier this season. He says the promotion push has been built on the foundations of previous campaigns.
“This is the first season I’ve gone it alone,” said the former AFC Sudbury and Needham Market midfielder. “The conversation with the chairman is how can we get to the play-offs, in the last two seasons we haven’t been a million miles away, we just lacked a few players to push us there and a bit of consistency.
“I was looking to build on previous seasons, and get a different culture into the squad.
“This is our third season in this league. the travel is demanding so it’s vital to know and recruit players away from other teams in the league and we’ve signed a very good winger and a quality central midfielder.
“We play a very attacking brand of football but if we’re not switched on we can have a bad day like last Saturday when we lost 6-2 to AFC Dunstable.”
Holland scored the winning penalty against Concord Rangers when Abbey were lost promoted to Step 3 15 years ago and he believes the club are ready for that level again for only the second season in the club’s history.
“The chairman wants us to push up to a higher step, it’s all on his shoulders really,” Holland added. “He prepares the pitch for the style of football we want to play. “The club is trying to build every year so when we do get to being a Step 3 club we don’t look out of place.” “We’re connected to the Abbey youth from U6 and go to U18, we have a reserve team and their manger works as our coach so we’re connected well.
“The better we do the more fans come through the gate, they’re very loyal, some go away every game, it’s a nice family community and our volunteers are the unsung heroes.”