Stansted Football Club may have finished bottom of last season s Essex Senior League, but the club is on its way up. The club struggled last year, but manager Terry Spillane has steadied the ship and is helping to take the club forward. Pre-season trainin

Stansted Football Club may have finished bottom of last season's Essex Senior League, but the club is on its way up.

The club struggled last year, but manager Terry Spillane has steadied the ship and is helping to take the club forward.

Pre-season training has attracted around 50 players, while off the pitch, Hargrave Park has been improved considerably.

"We started pre-season training a few weeks ago and I'm shocked at how well it's gone," said Spillane. "We have retained all of last season's squad with 30 new boys training as well and I'm really pleased with how things are going.

"We will try and whittle things down as we can't have a squad of 50 players. The standard I have seen though is going to make it very hard to pick."

Spillane will get his first chance to see the new

players in action when the Airportmen visit Broxbourne Borough on July 14 in a trial game. They will then have friendly matches against Bishop's Stortford Swifts, Takeley, Brentwood, London Colney and Ilford, before the league season kicks-off.

"We have a good relationship with Broxbourne and they are in a similar

situation with a lot of new players coming in, so it's a good chance for us both to look at players and see how they do in a game, we don't want to let anybody slip through our fingers" he said.

Stansted's first big test of the season is on August 18/19, when they host

Hullbridge Sports in the FA Cup extra preliminary round.

"It won't be easy, but you can't ask for more than a home draw," said Spillane.

"To play in the FA Cup is fantastic and it would be great if we could beat

Hullbridge and then who knows. I'm really looking forward to it. It's a special competition and I hope we will get a few people down supporting us."

Off the pitch, Hargrave Park has been a busy place during the summer.

"All the backroom staff, have been working really hard," said the manager.

"The pitch is looking good, the changing room has been improved as as the club house and the stand. It is definitely a club on the up and a club to be around at the moment.