Faversham Town boss Steve Watt is relishing the opening day after a couple of years on the sidelines. 

He and his new look squad welcome Corinthian Casuals to the Aquatherm at the weekend in the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup. 

Speaking to KSN this week about his return, Watt told us, “It’s been a long time coming now as it feels like we have been ready for some time now as a group. Can’t wait to get down to the real stuff and see what the season holds for us!” 

There are two South East Division games at the weekend to kick off the season for the four clubs not involved in the cup, but Watt doesn’t care – he just wants to get started.  

“A lot of people can read something into it, but ultimately at the end of the day we still have a competitive fixture that we will want to try and win so it doesn’t really matter if it’s in the League or the FA Cup – let’s just welcome and prepare for football again!  

“It’s always good to get off and running – the start of seasons we know are always disrupted because of cup competitions but hopefully we should all be used to it now! It’s just good to get back into the proper stuff and see what’s going to unfold during the season!” 

“The new squad has gelled really well,” Watt went on. “When we came in, what we wanted to do was to get the business done nice and early so that we could have the whole of pre-season to get to work. I’ve never been one to have a lot of trialists in.  

“I wanted to get us settled before pre-season started so that we could get straight down to the good work which gives the boys the best time to get used to what you want from them, and the boys have been first class they really have.  

“If you look through the squad, there’s great quality, good experience and great characters who have all bought into what we want them to do. So, it’s up to us now to put it to work and hopefully have a successful season.” 

Faversham have been marked by many as the team to beat in the South East division – Watt responded, “When you are at a club like us, we have not tried to shy away from the fact that we want to be promoted and that’s what we will do!” 

“But that brings pressure itself,” he admitted. “It’s part of the reason that I stepped away from the game a couple of years ago because unfortunately, my last club (Hythe Town) couldn’t match the ambition I wanted to bring to the club and what I wanted to do with my career. 

“Whereas Faversham, when the role became available, were always going to be a club that has and I have always been a manager, who wants that pressure on his shoulders, I want that expectation and try to carry that and carry my squad through a successful season. So, we welcome the pressure.”  

“Like I said to the boys after we beat Cray Wanderers in our last friendly last weekend, that was the last game that we will play where you are not going to be expected to win. Every game from now on – Saturday included, people will be expecting you to win as you will be getting the best version of any team that we play. So, we have to enjoy a different type of pressure from this weekend.” 

“We are all looking forward to it, we know that we have a target on our backs but we all will embrace that and will relish that and I just hope that we won’t disappoint the people who have made us favourites!” 

“It’s not about me, it’s about the team, it’s about the squad! I have been away for a couple of years and enjoyed my time away but was always going to return at some point, but it had to be the right fit and obviously Faversham was a good fit.  

“The Chairman has been outstanding to work for and helpful in everything that he’s been doing and now it’s for me to try to repay his faith in me for giving me this opportunity.  

“Nothing is going to be easy; just because we have built this squad doesn’t mean anything is a given, I know it’s going to be a tough season, we are ready for it and the boys know it’s going to be tough and they are going to go out there and give everything we can in every game.  

“Any point we get this season, we will have earned it as no-one is going to give us anything this season; the boys are ready; in a good place; but now it’s the real stuff and now we see what we really are made of!”