Great expectations at Scholars
Chasetown boss Charlie Blakemore reckons his hardest job this season might be to keep a lid on expectations.
Chasetown boss Charlie Blakemore reckons his hardest job this season might be to keep a lid on expectations.
Two years on from the Scholars' momentous run to the first round of the FA Cup, Church Street is a changed place.
The ground has been partially redeveloped, the club house refurbished and the club has grown in size.
Not only that but promotion from the Midland Alliance was followed by a third placed finish in Chasetown's first season in Southern One Midlands.
And although Blakemore is aiming high again he finds it hard to believe just how much progress has been made.
"It has been unbelievable," said Blakemore.
"In the last two years following the FA Cup run our fan base has quadrupled and we've been able to use the money to improve the infrastructure.
"We've been able to put terracing down one side of the ground for 1,000 and have got plans for a 500 seater stand behind one goal.
"The clubhouse has been completely refurbished and we've spent £5,000 on the pitch.
"We're now running 27 teams right through from under-sevens to the first team, compared to three we used to have.
"It's been a whirlwind two years and sometimes you don't look back long enough to see where you've travelled from.
"We have gone on such a journey and it's been absolutely fantastic.
"To win promotion from the Midland Alliance and then finish third behind Brackley and Bromsgrove last season was a fantastic achievement.
"There are some big spending sides at this level and a few of them wouldn't have heard of Chasetown a few years ago - but they've heard of us now.
"We've gone on a massive journey and the biggest challenge is to keep it up because we don't want to crash back down again.
"We're not going to have big budgets, but we're still looking to make steady progress."
Blakemore has had to shuffle his pack this summer, bringing in Dean Perrow, Nick Hawkins, Ben Twigger, Kyle Perry, Russell Peel and Matt Sergeant.
And he has warned supporters not to expect too much too soon.
"This summer has been the end of an era because some of the lads who have been with us since the Midland Alliance days and had four or five years here have either retired or moved on or are playing more locally," he said.
"We've had to freshen up the squad a little bit but they are all lads I've targeted and I am excited."
• Chasetown are hoping for a crowd in excess of more than 300 for Tuesday night's first home game of the season against local rivals Rushall.
Rushall have had the better of recent meetings between the sides - something the Scholars will be keen to put right.
Admission to Church Street will be £6 adults and £3 concessions.
