Pilgrims look to a bright future

Paul Hurst and Rob Scott won promotion in their first season with Boston

by Scott Dalton
BBC Lincolnshire reporter

When Boston United's long-serving general manager John Blackwell stepped into the York Street boardroom one Monday morning over the summer he was in for a surprise.

For there on the floor were Boston United's trophies and the shelf they had been sitting on which had fallen from the wall.

Such was the Pilgrims' success last season, it seems the weight of all the silverware was too much. "The shelf's been up there a long while and we've never had any problems," smiled John, who has been at the club for more than 30 years.

The Lincolnshire Senior Shield, the Unibond Challenge Cup and, most importantly of all, the Unibond Premier division play-off final accolades are all back up on display now, although the play-off vase had to be replaced as it was smashed in the fall.

That treble-trophy haul last season gave Boston fans something to cheer about after a turbulent three years which saw their five-year Football League adventure end in relegation, the club almost go out of business and suffer two further demotions due to financial issues.

At this level, there are not many better football clubs you can be at

Boston United midfielder Jamie Yates

After being saved from oblivion by David Newton, the boss of Lincolnshire construction firm Chestnut Homes, the club appears to be thriving again.

Fans have loyally stood by the Pilgrims and already close to 500 season tickets have been sold for the new campaign in Blue Square Bet North.

Last season the club's average gate for their Unibond Premier campaign was 1,384.

The off-field transformation led by Newton is now bearing fruits on the pitch. Rob Scott and Paul Hurst were appointed from Ilkeston as joint managers where they had achieved promotion via the play-offs, a feat they immediately repeated at Boston.

But while many managers look for consolidation the first season after going up, don't expect that from the ambitious Scott and Hurst.

"We don't really do consolidation - it's not in our nature," Scott said.

"You always want more. That probably puts more pressure on us and people have said to us we should probably play it down, but again that's not in our nature. We believe that we are good enough to be in and around there again."

Jamie Yates believes there are good times ahead for Boston

Such ambitions are echoed by the dressing room. All those offered contracts from last season's successes, the majority of the squad, have re-signed while striker Miles Hunter has been added from Sleaford Town, defender Kieran Murphy from Ilkeston and full-back Gareth Jelleyman, who has had two spells on loan with the Pilgrims in his career, has arrived from Barrow.

"At this level, there are not many better football clubs you can be at with regard to fans, facilities and pitch - I didn't expect anyone to leave," explained midfielder Jamie Yates.

"We've got a good morale, we've added players and they'll come into a happy squad. Promotion last year was a great achievement in my career and it was for all the boys as well. We were really proud of what we achieved last year and if we can do anything again like it this year, the sky's the limit for us.

"The quality of players we have, the morale we have, the team spirit we have can all take you a long way. We've got desire, pace and class and if we can use that at the right time then we're going to be up there again for me," Yates predicted.

If he turns out to be right, then the York Street boardroom trophy shelf might just need reinforcing.