YATE Town manager Craig Laird has set out his target for next season and believes the club are good enough to win the league title.

And Laird is busy ensuring the squad will have some fresh blood to compliment a team he thinks can go all the way in the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South and West.

Yate finished sixth in the table after their final match against Bashley saw them victorious by 3-1 at Lodge Road.

But that match was also significant in that Laird, who joined the club a month ago, used it to try out different styles.

Laird ended the season unbeaten with three wins and two draws in the five matches he was in charge of Yate during April.

He said: “It is going good and it is nice to see people around the club, from the person who makes the tea to the person who sweeps the changing rooms. The players I have inherited have done tremendously well.”

Laird looked to the future and said: “I think Yate can win the league. I don’t want to seem big-headed but I do think we can win it although there will be lots of teams who will want to stop us.

“We finished in sixth place this season which is where we deserved to be. If we don’t win the league, then we want to be in the play-offs but every manager targets their league.”

And, after a disruptive season off the field, Yate ended it with just two losses out of 12 games which included seven victories under the new manager and director of football Nigel Hawkins, who took over on-field control when previous boss Rob Cousins lost his job.

But while the squad has performed admirably, Laird thinks he needs to bring in some new faces. He said: “I will have to strengthen the squad and bring in players to compliment those who are here.”

Yet he will not be signing people who will be quickly in and out of the club as some players are.

“There will be no revolving door policy where three players come in and three players go out. The players we sign will want to play for Yate.

“I have been busy over the last week since the end of the season and at meetings with four players already who I hope will come to us next season.

“We want players who are here for the right reasons and, because of that, we have been very choosy with the players we have targeted. “

And Laird is excited by the youngsters who are coming through the youth development system but wants to ensure they are brought through in the right way.

“There is a good set of youngsters there and they will be integrated into Yate Town (senior side). They have to be looked after and we have to ensure we don’t damage their confidence.”

Some of those players who Laird hopes will take Yate forward could come from higher leagues.

But he added: “We will make mistakes and I have to take that on the chin.”