Johnson keeping options open after Town switch

Simon Johnson says he is ‘open to all possibilities’ after completing his switch from National League South Eastbourne Borough to Southern Combination Premier neighbours Eastbourne Town.

Johnson (right) took the step down the football pyramid to rack up as many games as possible between now and the end of the season before reassessing his options in the summer.

He made his debut for John Lambert’s side in their 1-1 draw against Peacehaven last Saturday. He is expected to feature once again in midfield as they travel to Loxwood tomorrow.

“I wasn’t getting much game time at Borough. I spoke to the manager (Jamie Howell) to see what his plans were in terms of getting me back into the side,” said Johnson.

“It was a case of being on the bench and waiting for an opportunity, so I decided it would be better to get some games under my belt. I asked if I could go and get some game time and then come back for pre-season as I wasn’t in the plans and Jamie said that was fine. It was all very amicable, there was no falling out. I knew it wouldn’t be for any of our benefit if I came back in pre-season with no or very limited game time.”

Johnson also explained the decision to join Town made sense. “I know all the lads at Town. It was handy logistically. I have just moved back from Croydon to Hailsham and the lads I know said I would enjoy it down there. I didn’t want to waste too much time, I wanted to get playing as soon as possible.”

Although Johnson admits his long-term aim is to force his way into Borough’s side, he isn’t counting on it. “I’ll see how I get on between now and the end of the season, how I perform and go from there. Ideally, I will get into a team at the level of Borough because that’s where I want to be playing.”