Energy, togetherness and ambition: New Eastbourne Borough squad is ready to entertain
It's been an incredible summer.
Getting over the disappointment of last season wasn't easy. If I'm honest, it took me longer than it should have.
Relegation hurt. It hurt all of us. But sometimes setbacks give you the opportunity to rebuild properly, and that's exactly what we've done.
What Steve King, Alan Williams and everyone behind the scenes have achieved over the last few months has been nothing short of remarkable. We've rebuilt this squad from the ground up, bringing in at least 12 fantastic new players and keeping some of our favourites from the last couple of seasons.
Many of them are proven winners who have either won their league or earned promotion with their previous clubs. We've gone from a dressing room that was short on confidence to one that's full of energy, togetherness and ambition.
I'm genuinely excited about the season ahead because I believe we've built a team that will compete, entertain and make everyone in Eastbourne proud.
I also want to thank everyone who has stood by us. A special thank you to Octopus Energy for joining us on this journey and believing in what we're building. I'd also like to thank Connect Management, Will Loch Construction, Stagecoach, Reach TV, Viasat and Blue Billboard for their unbelievable support.
Businesses like these make community football possible, and we're incredibly grateful. Also a special mention to Steve Domasalla and Kevin Fry and their teams for their incredible support.
As we look ahead, we'd love more local companies to come on this journey with us. Every sponsorship helps us invest not only in the men's team but also in our women's programme, which has stepped up another level and now faces some of the biggest clubs in the country.
They deserve the investment and backing to continue their incredible rise. Can we make it three on the bounce? We welcomed Michael Walbach as our new manager and look forward to supporting him and his team.
Looking back over the last three years, it's amazing to see how much has changed. Facebook keeps reminding me where we started, and it makes me incredibly proud of what everyone has achieved together.
We've created a thriving padel club that's bringing new people on to the site every week, we've got more exciting businesses joining us soon, and we've invested heavily in a brand-new FIFA Quality Pro pitch that will give our players and supporters a surface worthy of the ambitions we have for this football club.
It's been one of the busiest summers we've ever had. Alongside rebuilding the squad and installing the new pitch, we've made sure thousands of people could watch England's games together.
Seeing families, friends and supporters enjoying the atmosphere reminded us what this place can become. Eastbourne Borough is about far more than ninety minutes on a Saturday afternoon. We want it to be somewhere the whole community feels proud to spend time.
I'd love you all to come and see it for yourself.
Join us on Saturday, July 25 for our first home pre-season game on our brand-new pitch. Every penny from the gate receipts will go to St Wilfrid's Hospice, supporting an incredible local charity that means so much to our community.
Bring your family, have something to eat or drink, enjoy a game of padel and take a look around. Whether you've been coming for years or you've never visited before, I think you'll be amazed by what's been created here.
There's a different feeling around the club now. The atmosphere is positive, the standards are higher than ever and there's a real belief throughout the football club that we're building something special.
We know success isn't guaranteed, but one thing I can promise you is that everyone connected with Eastbourne Borough will give absolutely everything to make this season one our supporters can be proud of.
I can't wait to welcome you all back.
Read Simon Leslie’s exclusive columns throughout the season – first in your Herald and at sussexworld.co.uk/sport