Planning ahead

10:50am Thursday 1st May 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

Stourbridge RFC head coach Neil Mitchell will not be dwelling on what might have been after seeing his side miss out on promotion but is instead planning for next season.

Stour finished the season with an entertaining 27-23 bonus point win at home Southend, but with Manchester crushing Blackheath their valiant promotion bid to National League One was in vain.

Stour claimed 99 points and 21 victories to finish a staggering 24 points clear of fourth placed Blackheath.

Mitchell was proud of his team's efforts but for him in the cold light of day he feels although he would have loved promotion it may have come too soon for his developing side.

He said: "It's been a phenomenal effort by the players and the staff to get so close, but I suppose these things happen for a reason.

"Realistically promotion this year might well have come too early for us because although we are set up for National One rugby in terms of our facilities we are probably not in terms of a squad so it may well be a mixed blessing.

"Many people have told me that to survive in that division you need a half a million pound budget and that is something we just can't compete with at the moment."

Mitchell will not be taking a rest because the next month is key as he aims to mould a squad together for a fresh promotion bid next time round.

He is already facing up to being without enigmatic utility back Rod Petty who has signed for Pertemps Bees and live-wire winger Tom Jarvis who is set for a move to either Plymouth or Doncaster.

Mitchell has warned players and their agents to bide their time and not try and hold him to ransom.

He said: "Since Sunday it feels like I have been constantly on the phone with agents who are trying to sort out deals for their players.

"I always say this is when my work starts as I try and get my squad together.

"This is my fourth pre-season and the first one was an experience because you can easily panic over getting players in but year by year you get more prepared for what is to come.

"Ideally I want to keep 20 of the squad we've got and add a further five or six on top of that."

Two players Mitchell will be keen to hold onto are player of the season Ally Muldowney and Ben Gerry who was handed the prestigious Faye Newton Memorial Award.