Pearce: "I'm back next year"

He confirmed in an exclusive interview with the Observer that he will be back in the dugout for the first game of next season.

Pearce said: "I never said I wasn't going to manage the side. When I took a break, I fully intended to come back next year. If something happens with the financial side during the summer and the new owner wants a change of manager, then I have no control over that."

Looking back on last season, Pearce said: "If you'd have told me we'd finish 12th, I'd have been delighted.

"Some people may say that smacks of having no ambition, but what you have to remember we have a small squad and the smallest wage bill in the league.

"What disappointed me, though, was that we couldn't get the momentum of winning games at home in the league, because if the local people see us winning and playing well, then they will turn out to support us in greater number and it will generate interest.

"Those fans we do have week in, week out, are terrific, though. I just wish we could attract more people.

"I was disappointed with our cup form, too, because everything in the FA Cup and FA Trophy is linked to money, and we lost to two teams '“ Hitchin and Heybridge Swifts '“ where we had chances to win, but got beaten by sides from a lower standard.

"We did well in the Senior Cup, and in Sussex it is still looked upon as a prestigious competition that all the sides who enter want to win, something that doesn't happen in every county. We played really well in the semi against Brighton, and it was a real sickener not to make it to the final."

Pearce continued: "The players work hard and are skilful, but we're not that physical as a team. We don't have that much power and strength in our armoury.

"Next year, I'd like more competition for places, we could do with another striker to challenge Ben Watson and Luke Nightingale and keep them motivated, ideally someone with a bit of a physical presence.

"Obviously with David Piper going, we need a new right-back, and we also should get a centre-half of our own. Tucky (Stuart Tuck) was phenomenal all season, but we need someone to tie in with him, rather than go for loan signings all the time. We could also do with another midfielder, and again, if they had a bit of physicality about them, that'd be great."

Reflecting on his time away and how assistant manager Michael Birmingham handled things in his absence, Pearce reckoned: "The best decision Birmy made was to make Luke captain. It really helped him get his enthusiasm back, and he will start as skipper next season, until we see how Tucky recovers.

"Birmy has stayed loyal to the club, and I respect him for that. I'm going to tell him I want him to get fitter and play more regularly. If he has the desire, he has a good two years more football in him."

Speaking about the move into limited company status, Pearce explained: "The limited company will be going ahead after the year end, which is the end of May. We have to get the accounts finalised, publish a prospectus and then issue the shares. We haven't finally decided exactly how many shares we will issue, it's either going to be 200,000 or 250,000, and the minimum amount to purchase will either be 50 or 100 at 1 each."

Pearce then stated his three goals for the year: "We have to try to get into the play-offs. It's ambitious, but you have to aim high. Second, I want the club to be financially sound and, third, we have to get the ground to qualify for grade B with the FA, and that means 500 seats in two places, and new dugouts."

His final words were ones that showed that his heart is still in the game, and could be taken as a comment on clubs like Havant, Lewes and Eastbourne, who have reportedly all run up huge wage bills during the last few years: "Other clubs may spend the money, but here at Bognor we have the courage to play decent football."

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