Notable departure likely among Eastbourne Borough ins and outs

There's no firm news yet on the player front at Priory Lane

The Sports have yet to announce anything about how their squad will look for the 2021-22 but when news does come out, there could be a surprise or two for fans.

Bloor told the Herald there was a lot of work going on behind the scenes towards next season’s Borough squad, but he didn’t see any need to hurry announcements when the present season had not even finished at many levels of the game.

When the new National League South season gets under way on Saturday, August 14, Bloor’s squad will be aiming to repeat the success they had in the truncated campaign just gone. They sat third and on course for a play-off place when the season was halted.

The division’s 21-22 line-up of teams is likely to be the same, with no promotion or relegation to or from step two of the non-league game this summer.

Bloor said: “We’re dotting the ‘I’s and crossing the ‘T’s on things but I don’t understand this need to announce things every five minutes.

“It’s still May – this season hasn’t finished yet! We are doing things behind closed doors.”

Bloor said there would be a freshening-up of the squad but indicated he was hopeful of keeping most of the high-achieving 20-21 troops together for another go at glory.

But he did say there would be ‘one notable’ departure from the squad – a player who is heading to a League One club.

“Half of you is gutted to lose a good player but the other half of you is proud to see a player going on to play at such a high level,” he said.

“It shows we’re a club who like to do things right and help players develop.”

Bloor also said he was signing a player he had been tracking for some time.

Talks with players come as the Sports reveal five pre-season friendlies.

Their programme – which has two or three fixtures still to be added to it – starts at home to Bexhill on Tuesday, July 6 before they visit Isthmian premier side Folkestone on Saturday 10.

They visit Brighton’s under-23s at the Seagulls’ training ground on Friday 16, then host another two Isthmian premier sides – Kingstonian on Saturday 24 and Lewes on Saturday 31.

Before then, Borough fans have Ben Austin’s testimonial between an Eastbourne Borough squad and a Brighton squad to look forward to.

It’s on Sunday, May 30, and a huge number of former Sports and Albion names have been signed up.

Tickets are £10 – see ebfc.co.uk for details.