Stafford Rangers manager Phil Robinson hopes the winning habit will help his side gain a foothold in the Conference. Stafford are preparing for their first season at the highest level of non-league for 11 years after gaining promotion through the play-offs.
Robinson is pursuing just "two or three" new faces but believes he has the personnel to handle the step up.
"We have retained the players we wanted to. We have got the bulk of last season's squad," he told BBC Sport.
"These players proved in the FA Trophy last season that we could compete against teams in the Conference.
 | The players have got a good spirit and desire and hopefully we will take a winning mentality into next season |
"We beat Forest Green and Morecambe and drew with Woking, although we are aware that playing relentlessly against Conference opposition is a different proposition."
"We are under no illusions that it's going to be a difficult first season for us.
"But the players have got a good spirit and desire and hopefully we will take a winning mentality into next season.
"It's our first season back and we want to stay in there. But I have a proud bunch of players who want to do the best they can and finish as high as we can. That's our aim."
Stafford, who hit hard times on and off the field in the mid-1990s, have enjoyed a continued revival under Robinson's stewardship since the former Wolves and Notts County player took charge of his hometown club in 2002.
The 39-year-old has previous Conference experience from a spell as player-coach at Hereford United and still draws on the advice of Bulls boss Graham Turner.
And Robinson is looking forward to operating again at that level with a club that twice previously finished as a top-six Conference side and twice won the FA Trophy.
| They are really exciting times for the club. Season-ticket sales have doubled and there is a big buzz around town |
"I look at it as the Premiership being out on its own and then four divisions and the Conference is the fourth division," he said. "It has moved on incredibly since Stafford Rangers were in it before - the clubs you play against, the training facilities and the way they go about their week.
"I speak to other managers and I'm amazed how far the Conference has come. I'm proud that Stafford are now going to be playing at that level.
"They are really exciting times for the club. Season-ticket sales have doubled and there is a big buzz around town."
 Ex-Cheltenham man Neil Grayson has Football League experience |
Despite the interest generated by Stafford's recent success, the club will kick off the 2006/07 campaign as a small fish in a big pond. They have vast League experience in their ranks from back to front in Paul Groves, Kevin Street and Neil Grayson.
But finances dictate that Robinson will have one of the smaller budgets to work with and Stafford will remain as one of the league's few part-time clubs.
"We know we will be up against it doing it that way. But it has to be evolution rather than revolution," Robinson added.
"Over the forthcoming seasons if we maintain our status at this level then hopefully that (full-time) is the way we are going to go.
"But as a club we feel at this moment in time this is the way to go for us. Almost every other club is full-time and it will be a big challenge. But we are prepared to rise to that challenge."
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