Shelley: plenty to look forward to in new year

The Seasiders begin the year with a home match against Gorleston on Saturday, sitting proudly in 14th spot in the Thurlow Nunn League.

They have already accrued more premier division points than they managed in the whole of last term and have already won the same number of games - nine.

Now Shelley wants his players to push on and eclipse the club’s tenth-place finish - their highest-ever finish as FC Clacton - achieved in 2015/16.

“It could be a big year for us and of course we’d love to finish as high as possible,” he told the Gazette.

“The highest the club have finished is tenth and it would be great to match that or possibly beat it.

“We know it won’t be easy because there are some really good sides in our league. It’s a tough division but if we could finish strongly and in the top ten it would give us such a springboard for next season.

“Players would hopefully want to stay and then if you add one or two, it would be lovely to think we could push for a top-five finish.

“That has to be the aim and I’m an ambitious person.

“I always have been and I’m certainly not here to win a game, lose a game and then draw a game.

“I wanted to win things and achieve things as a player and now I want to prove to people that, as a manager, I can bring trophies and success to Clacton.”

Clacton had been due to visit Stowmarket Town on Saturday.

However, following relentless wet weather, an early decision was made to postpone the match on Friday morning.

“It was a big disappointment because it stops your momentum when you don’t play,” added Shelley.

“But it’s one of those things and we’re all itching to get going again.

“Myself and the boys are determined to carry on our good work from the first half of the season, by continuing to do the right things.

“We know there are areas where we need to improve but there were lots of positives during 2017.

“When we’re good and really on our game, I firmly believe that not many sides in our league are better than us.”