BILLERICAY Town boss Craig Edwards has revealed he is close to completing his squad for the new season.
The Blues have signed up 15 players for the Ryman League Premier Division campaign, with two more set to follow this week.
And after tomorrow night's game with Tilbury, Edwards is expecting to release the remainder of his trialists and begin focusing on the season.
"We've let most of them go now," he said. "We've got Tilbury on Thursday and what we see to be the last of the trialists will be playing there.
"Then we'll have a settled squad that will see us through to the season.
"I am looking to strengthen in a couple of areas, but we won't do it unless the right ones are available.
"We've got 15 signed and we're signing two more on Thursday, we'll look for one or two more."
The Blues were due to host Hemel Hempstead at home on Saturday, but that game has now been cancelled, although it could be switched to an away fixture.
Last weekend, the Blues hosted Romford on a special day at New Lodge.
The day began with a team of Blues fans playing 30-minute games against the two senior sides with the winners – unsurprisingly the two senior sides – then clashing at 3pm.
And James Robinson marked his home debut with the winner as the Blues won 2-1 on a day Edwards enjoyed.
"Physically it was very tough," he added. "First of all we had the game with the supporters, that was after Romford played them. Romford were excellent all day, they really got into the spirit of things.
"The main thing was obviously the game itself. It went really well, the supporters had a great time and bearing in mind the heat, and the pitch, it was a very good game of football.
"The pitch is very dry, we haven't managed to get enough water on it.
"It was good for the fans. Since the very first day we've walked in here, we've tried to get them all together, the supporters, the players.
"Last year when we got relegated the supporters followed us all over the country and they were magnificent.
"It was nice to have a game with them and show that we appreciate them and also give them a load of stick when they were playing!"
Edwards also had praise for Robinson, and the rest of his new-look squad, adding: "He looked very good and he'll fit in very well within the system we're playing.
"We've changed it round considerably from last year, with the personnel we've got.
"We've got basically two players from last year, we've had a big change around, the players have changed and with that we're changing our pattern.
"And so far with the four or five games we've played, it's been very encouraging."