Chichester City still have unfinished Isthmian League business - and a point to prove

The men from Oaklands Park were promoted to the Isthmian’s south-east division for the first time in their history in 2019, but have yet to play a completed season at the higher level.

Now that the 20-21 league season has been scrapped for teams at that level, City are feverishly working behind the scenes to put everything in place on and off the field to make sure the 21-22 campaign is successful.

The management have decided not to get the squad back in for training, although they are pleased to have the chance to field some of their under-23 and under-18 players with City having entered the Southern Combination League’s Supplementary Cup competition, which will run throughout April and May.

City coach Danny Potter told us: “I think we’ll be back in June and will have a really strong build-up to the new season.

“We are lucky that we have a settled squad of players who like playing for us and want to carry on playing for us. There’s a great team spirit.

“Having been promoted to step four we have yet to finish a season at that level, so it’s a bit like unfinished business. We want to prove to ourselves and others we belong in the Isthmian League.

“We were flying when the 19-20 season stopped and had hopes of making the play-offs, where as this season, we’d only played five games.”

Manager and assistant Miles Rutherford and Graeme Gee will again be backed by Potter and fellow coach Darin Killpartrick for 21-22 – the latter returning the fold after a period away for family reasons.

Potter said: “Having Dabba back with us will be like a new season.”

Potter said the management expected the vast majority of the squad to stay at the club and one or two additions to be made to keep competition for places.

City have been protected during a year of no income by the thousands they made they made from their 19-20 FA Cup run – and say they’d love another long run next season.