Benno pretty much had our pre-season plans nailed down before the end of last season so for the first time in years I have had a complete break from football. I attended the trials for the new u18s and have most recently been going through applications from players looking for trials with Benno and Glen. I've been over the park, cycling and swimming a lot with the kids as well as doing a bit of rugby training and I've lost around 20lbs but I've had to ease up as I sustained stress fractures to two toes in June. My eldest lad is looking to secure a uni place for next year so we have been attending open-days at campuses around the country. My wife is a nurse and getting time off over the summer is a bit of a lottery so we are away for the last week of July and I will unfortunately miss part of pre-season and the 125th anniversary game. I've also really enjoyed watching the Women's World Cup and, finally, I have re-registered as an active referee after a couple of seasons out.

Q2 ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO PRE-SEASON?

Absolutely. It always helps when there is a bit of footy on the telly over the summer and we've been quite spoilt this year with three tournaments on but you reach a point where you just can't wait to get back. After such a strong finish to last season we are determined to keep that momentum going by retaining as many of the players as we can and build a stronger squad around that strong core and get cracking on the pre-season games sooner. We have had the lads in for a couple of sessions to shake away the cobwebs and the open training session is always a great day with the supporters coming in and I love the banter and the opportunity for the staff, players and fans to get together in a more informal setting. Andy and Benno have been busy over the summer sorting out a challenging fixture schedule, there will be a number of trialists on show and maybe a few of our stronger youth players and with a strength and conditioning coach coming on board for pre-season I'm really looking forward to getting back on the training ground.

Q3 WHAT WAS YOUR HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2014/15 SEASON

From a personal point of view it has to be being in the dugout for the second half of the season and working closer with the squad, being a part of that turnaround and the climb up the table. It was a fantastic and challenging opportunity and I thank Andy and Benno for giving me that chance.

In terms of the season our objective was to improve on the previous one and ultimately we did that. We reached the league cup final and made the fans proud so that for me was massive. It's hard to pick out a few highlights because we had a great run and defied the odds on more than one occasion. The 1-0 win at Met Police saw the character of the squad really tested against a very good side that had beaten us at Mill Field a few days earlier and it really was a sign that we had something special developing; Benno's penalty save, Correy's switch, Joao's screamer and the media frenzy afterwards; the wall of noise for 90 minutes at Mill Field for the cup match against Billericay Town; coming off the pitch against Maidstone disappointed that we didn't win, a real measure of our progress.

Q4 AND YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE MOMENT(S)?

Walking into the dressing room after the cup final and hearing and feeling the change in the mood of the supporters towards the end of the Kingstonian game.

Q5 WHAT'S IT BEEN LIKE WORKING WITH MARK BENTLEY FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS?

Sound, as we say in Liverpool. It's like we've been working together for years and I've enjoyed every minute of it. For the first half of the season our club and work commitments meant we were rarely in the same place at the same time then we were sort of flung together early in January but things clicked into place and we hit the ground running. I think it helps having had experience in a similar role so it meant Benno could focus on the squad and sorting out matters on the pitch. To be honest I wanted to get back to rambling and encouraged Benno to bring someone else in but he was happy with how things were working so I was given a great opportunity to play a more prominent role in what we were doing on the pitch, especially when Benno was on it. He has that respect from the players that you can only earn on the pitch and as a gaffer he reminds me very much of Hakan, is a student of the game and takes information on board even if that means you disagree with his tactics or, say, player selection and he does set high standards which I think Glenn, myself, Rhino and Jack do our best to meet because he has made us all feel like an important part of what we are trying to achieve and it really does push you on to try and raise that bar a little higher.

Q6 IT'S RECENTLY BEEN ANNOUNCED THAT GLEN LITTLE HAS AGREED TO RETURN TO THE CLUB AS BENNOS NO2. WHAT DO YOU FEEL GLEN BRINGS TO THE COACHING SET UP?

Glen is one of the best players I have ever worked with and it is fantastic to have a player of his calibre at the club. Judging by the stories he tells he has mellowed with age but young and older players alike can learn from his ability and experience of playing at the highest level and working with some of the best coaches in the country. He has an encyclopaedia of unconventional drills picked up from his playing days and he will pluck one out and take the edge off a hard training session or provide an ideal warm-down at the end of the night. He has a youthful and infectious enthusiasm and still wants to play and train hard and while he might appear to be full of hijinks he is 100% focused on the end result. I think like Benno he has reached a point where he is ready to get on the managerial ladder and his returning to the Blues as assistant manager is a huge positive for the club.

Q7 HOW WOULD YOU BEST DESCRIBE YOUR COACHING STYLE?

It depends on what we are working on. There are times when you need to be a little more laid-back and positive and there are times when you have to be more demanding, focused and not so soft around the edges. I like to think that having coached for a long time that I manage those extremes quite well but I also think it's fair to say that between the three of us I have higher expectations of attitude and discipline from the players on the training ground, especially when it comes to preparation, hydration and recovery and I can be a harsh taskmaster in this regard. We're not a full-time club so we have to make the most of the time we do have available so sessions are well planned and the players do work hard so there will be plenty of positive encouragement but if the focus or work rate drops to a point where the overall drill or exercise is being disrupted then you have to step in and get them back on track...you will find that the players themselves will manage each other when they have to do it all over again. I'm really keen to encourage players to look for ways to improve aspects of their own game and I'm happy to stay out for a one-on-session with half-a-dozen balls and some cones for an hour. If we have players on recovery or doing some fitness work Jack O'Hughes will recommend some routines and it's here you need to have a harder edge to motivate and push the players along to get them ready to resume training and hopefully playing again as soon as possible.

Q8 WHO IS THE JOKER IN THE CHANGING ROOM?

No shortage of takers in this department, though it tends to be the more experienced (older!) players handing it out. Generally if it's not Blakey then it's Andy Swallow who at one point this season had the place in uproar when he was running around in a gorilla suit.

Q9 WHO WOULD YOU SAY IS THE MOST PROFESSIONAL PLAYER IN THE SQUAD?

Throughout the season the one thing Jody, Andy and Benno demanded was a professional attitude from the coaches and players. The difference it makes to everything we are trying to do is huge, and I think that became more evident as the season progressed. The attitude throughout the whole squad really was outstanding and Benno and Glen set a superb example but I would have to say Kenny Beaney. He came back from the break fit and ready to go right from the off. He really grew into the club captain's role, was a real leader on and off the pitch and was a positive influence in the period before Benno took over and one of our better players after. I was also impressed with DD who I felt took a while to find his feet but was constantly working to improve his game. Lamar Johnson, after a long absence from all football, got his head down and worked so hard all season both as an understudy to Conor Gough and on loan and after a shaky comeback game against ETU bounced back to show towards the end of the season that he is one of the best players between the sticks at this level.

Q10 AS CLUB SCOUT WHAT IS IT YOU LOOK FOR?

In a player we are looking for someone who will improve our starting eleven or someone we can bring into the reserves that can challenge for a position in the first team...it really does wonders for motivation when players know you have options. On more than one occasion I have been sent to watch one player and another has caught the eye. As well as watching a promising player a couple of times we will look at their footballing history and their disciplinary record. It is also important to see what a player does off the ball, how he interacts with his team-mates and how he responds to the dugout. I will also monitor players that we have out on loan and, when possible, get over to watch them.

When watching opposition I'm looking for anything that will give us an advantage. That advantage can be identifying a particular strength or weakness, the players to watch, how the team reacts to changes in the game, good or bad habits in a player or players and the strength of the bench...we even consider the state of the pitch and the reaction of the crowd. I take notes, record stats and film the games I watch and aim to have the info to Benno within 24 hours of the end of the match.

Q11 ANY TEAMS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN THE 2015/16 RYMAN PREMIER SEASON?

Grays Athletic

If I'm honest, I love the unpredictability of it all! We still had something like 12 teams still in with a shout of the play-offs coming into the last few weeks of the last season.

There have been some interesting player moves in the close season but I heard that the highest number of players for many years had earned deals at clubs higher up the pyramid or in the football league which shows just how strong our division was. I expect Hendon to continue where they left off, Dulwich Hamlet will be in the mix again but I also think Billericay Town might surprise a few people. Relegated Farnborough and Staines Town may find the league tougher than expected but I think they have retained enough quality players to make a serious attempt at getting promoted back out of the league.

Q12 WHAT'S YOUR AIMS FOR THE FORTHCOMING SEASON?

Our aim is to build on what we achieved at the end of last season and push for promotion and a better run in the cups. Given our limited resources if we can be in the mix again come the end of the season we can consider it a success. We have retained much of the squad and have a number of new players coming in for pre-season. We have had the players in prior to the open day on Saturday and we are looking to get into our stride early. The mood in the camp is positive and we have no reason not to be confident we can compete at the top of the league. I will be back on my ramblings which I am really looking forward to but I will be in the dugout occasionally as it is just as important to watch us play as it is the opposition and I will be on the training ground every week come rain or shine!

Q13 ANY WORDS FOR OUR FANTASTIC SUPPORTERS?

A massive thank you for your support both for the team and me personally.

Ever since I turned up at Rush Green expecting half a dozen people and not enough spades I have been constantly and consistently amazed and impressed at the dedication of our supporters and the lengths they go to for the love of the club and the way they get behind the team. I am starting my fifth season at the club - long may it continue - but wherever I end up in football I will always look back at this period as a high-point of my career and I am a Blues fan for life. As Rhino likes to remind me: Athletic and I know it!

I lost my Mum during the season and the support of the club and the supporters helped me through a really rough time and for that I will be forever grateful.