“I WANT top three,” says Westfield boss Tony Reid, who is targeting another shot at promotion from the Isthmian League South Central Division.

In addition to making several new signings during the off-season, Reid has retained all 15 of his 2019-20 squad. And he has a clearly defined view of how he wants his tenure at Woking Park to continue.

“What I’m looking for is young, hungry players who want to win games and make a name for themselves.”

Chief among those Reid has brought to the club this summer is Max Blackmore, who was his leading scorer for two seasons before heading to Metropolitan Police.

Blackmore’s return will be a huge boost for the manager who at times last season had to make do without any strikers at all.

“I’ve got a very good relationship with Max on and off pitch and he gives me that firepower that I needed,” he said.

“We’ve also got Charlie Postance from Bedfont Sports, 6’3”, good in the air, good on the ground, and he was their top scorer last season. So he adds something different and we won’t rely on just one striker.

“We’ve brought in a couple of new midfielders too, but it’s about them buying into our philosophy. Some players come with reputations – I don’t do reputations. It’s what you can do with me.”

Over the summer Reid has had the chance to think back to last season, particularly the Yellows’ defeat to Bracknell Town in the play-offs. Time, however, has not healed the pain of losing out on promotion.

“When I reflect on it now, the top five clubs had a considerable amount of money compared to what I had. We’re not the sort of club that can throw bundles of cash at players.

“Training facilities are different, too. We train on a 3G five-a-side pitch in the winter, so we couldn’t really do set-pieces or patterns of play. Everything we were doing was off the cuff or from a whiteboard. I think we trained on a full-size pitch twice all season.

“So when I reflect on it, there were obstacles to overcome, but those are excuses. Whatever cards you’re dealt, you’ve got to deal with them.”

As for what he’s most excited about in the coming season: “The first whistle.”

Westfield commence their campaign in the newly named BetVictor League with a trip to Northwood today.

For the full interview, get the 15 August edition of the News & Mail