Relegated – but Hastings United chief White sees hope for future

The Us will be back in the Isthmian South East division next season – their demotion confirmed last Saturday by their own 0-0 draw with Hashtag and the fact Dulwich Hamlet beat Canvey.

Chairman White has taken charge of the team since Danny Searle’s departure a month ago and, following the release of half a dozen players, it’s been quite a young line-up he has been sending out.

But results like the draw with high-flying Hashtag and Monday’s 1-1 draw at promotion-chasing Dover have encouraged White as the club start to interview candidates for the manager’s job.

"We’re feeling down about relegation, of course we are – it shouldn’t have happened,” White told the Observer.

“We didn’t see it coming and thought going with the experienced managers we did was the right thing to do. But it didn’t work and we now have to look to the future.

"What I’ve seen in recent weeks has been much better. We’re playing a lot of young players but the beauty of our academy is we have good youngsters coming through in the different age groups.

"We can’t and won’t just rely on them, of course, but the way they’ve been playing, with hunger and desire, bodes well.”

United play their final game tomorrow at home to Potters Bar.

White said they’d started interviewing for a new manager and while they did not want to rush a decision, they did want to make an appointment soon to give the new boss time to plan for the 2025-26 season.

He said the quality of those interested in the job was encouraging and said they wanted a ‘coach-orientated’ manager who could develop the younger players and bring back on-field success.

The club have also revealed plans for some ‘focus groups’ to oversee different aspects of the club – including a fans’ group, which would be linked to the work of a new or re-established supporters’ club. Interest in the group is being sought.