Manager Gary Setchell urges town to come out and support club when new season starts

Eagles’ manager Gary Setchell hopes the town will get behind the club when the new season starts in the summer.

The Bedford Town boss wants people to enjoy getting out again and supporting the club after the Covid-19 curtailments.

“We are looking forward to it after having two seasons that have been cut short,” he said.

“We want to build on the relative success we were having towards the end of last season and hope the people of Bedford will come and get behind this team.

“It’s an exciting team with plenty of energy, who give 110 per cent every week.

“People have spent so much time at home over the past few months, I’d urge them to come out and see what we can do.

“A town like Bedford could easily enjoy crowds of four, five or six hundred every week supporting their local football team.

“If we get it right people will get value for money and we hope they will come out and support the club.”

Having joined the Eyrie in late September, immediately making an impact with an unbeaten run of nine games, Setchell has high hopes for their Southern League Division One Central campaign in 2021-22.

“You’re always going to get three or four changes in a team from season to season, but there won’t be wholesale changes,” he said. “We had a good camaraderie and the squad is good enough to be top three or four in the division.”

With his home club Kings Lynn, who he says were similar to Bedford in that they had underachieved in recent years, Setchell earned two promotions, taking them up to Step 3 and also led Wisbech, up to Step 4.

He believes Bedford should be a Step 3 or 2 club and he and assistant Darren Edey will be working hard to bring out the best in the squad again.

“As a manager I’m a players’ person,” he added. “I try and have a good rapport with the players and will always back them, but I want them to be well disciplined.

“When we are training or playing a game that’s work and I expect them to treat it as a job. There’s time to have a laugh and socialise afterwards.

“I expect the lads to look after themselves away from the club and be switched on for training and games.

“We are looking at this season as unfinished business and we want to give it a real good go.”

The season for Step 4 teams begins on Saturday, August 14.