CRAIG EDWARDS is meeting a number of potential players this weekend as he begins to rebuild his Billericay Town squad for next year.
The Blues boss has seen a number of players head for the New Lodge exit door since their relegation from the Blue Square Bet South.
But Edwards is remaining positive about his team's hopes for next term as he looks to bounce back from the Ryman League Premier Division at the first time of asking.
"We're having a get-together this week with a lot of new faces but there's nothing concrete," he said. "We'll be having a look at a few new boys this week, get them in and see how we get on.
"It is a rebuild this year, we're not making any secret about it. "We're only keeping four or five from last season, so it will be a rebuild and we will look to see what we can attract and mould into a decent side this year."
Among the departures have been regular centre-back pairing from last season Chris Wild and Rob Swaine, but Edwards admits their departures have not caused him a new headache.
He added: "We have lost players in key positions, but we conceded 90 goals last year so the centre of defence needed addressing anyway.
"We'll look for a big improvement in that area."
One player definitely with the Blues next season is skipper Glenn Poole. The former Brentford man was handed the armband in the latter part of last season, and Edwards is delighted to have him in the ranks again.
"I had Glenn as a young lad on the way up," he added. "I had some great years with him at Ford United, he went on and had a successful career.
"Now I've got him at the other end of his career and one thing that is very evident is the enthusiasm is exactly the same as in his more advanced years.
"He's got a great appetite for the game, he's a great example to all the younger players that we've got here – and we will be a younger side this year."
Edwards is close to finalising his pre-season campaign – although he admits to being "very disappointed" after Chelmsford City pulled out of a potential fixture – and away from the pitch he has spent part of his summer writing his memoirs.
"It's something I've always wanted to do," he added. "We've got a budding journalist at the football club and she wrote some great pieces last year.
"There's a lot of good stories in there. I've had a lot of extremely colourful chapters in my life, very varied, some good, some bad and it'll be nice to get it down on paper.
"If people like it or if it ruffles a few feathers then so be it.
" I'll look back on it and be pleased I've done it."
