Billericay step up training schedule as promotion bid continues
Dean Brennan has confirmed Billericay Town are set to hold more regular training sessions as they look to compete with full-time teams.
Billericay, who travel to Hampton & Richmond Borough in the third qualifying round of the FA Trophy on Saturday, currently train twice a week.
Following an FA Cup first round replay defeat to National League side Chesterfield – and having confirmed full-time Torquay United are Billericay’s leading challengers for the title – Brennan feels changes to the training regime are necessary.
The Billericay boss said: “We’re going to be training more often in the next few weeks.
“I want us to start training three times a week because I need more contact time with the players and that will give us an extra 10 per cent.
“Some players may be affected by the changes because of work commitments but the changes are only being made for football reasons and I want players here for football reasons.
“For us to improve we have to train more often.”
And Brennan wants Town to bounce back from their FA Cup exit.
“It’s going to be a tough game,” he added.
“We’ll be looking to bounce back from the midweek defeat, but Hampton will also be looking to get a positive result after they went out of the FA Cup and lost last weekend.
“We know that Hampton are a pacy and dynamic side but we want to get through to the next round and you need some luck in cup competitions.”
Clarifying the new Billericay plans, a statement on the website says;
Due to the ambitions of the club, we are looking to take the first steps in a transition to becoming a more full time squad.
We are currently only training Tuesday and Thursday evenings and this is starting to have a detrimental impact on the players that live further away and have moved to us from clubs where they trained fulltime. Also, when we have a Tuesday fixture the boys are only getting one training session per week, and we believe this is not enough to be where we need to be. Therefore we are exploring the viability of training weekday mornings to begin with, then potentially increase this towards the end of this season and the beginning of the 2019-20 season.
Manager Dean Brennan explains:
‘’Looking at the league and how tough it is and indeed the league above, if we are to be up there come the end of the season we need to make these changes.
This league is very competitive and I need more time with the squad. By implementing these changes it’ll allow me and Stuart that time and give us that extra 10% come matchdays and the chairman has given me license to do that’’.
Chairman Dan Groves added:
‘With promotion to the National League a huge possibility now, the decision has been made that going fully professional will help the club realise its ambitions going forward, we have got off to a great start this season and I only see this as a positive move for the club. I believe the progression from operating as a part-time outfit will give our side the best opportunity of progressing, regardless of what division the club find themselves in next season.
We have had a good conversation with the squad and as with any change to working hours, sadly some players will be affected because of other work commitments, however as a club we will do whatever we can to help these players stay with us and work around their other commitments.
We are 100% behind Dean and Stuart’s decision and know these changes and we want players here who want to stay on this journey with us and if we are to look to progress to the next step of the football pyramid these changes have to happen’’.
Billericay are the favourites for the title in the National League South, to visit their website click here
Picture Credit: Nicky Hayes
