Town fifth favourites? That’s a bit generous! (From Echo)

Town fifth favourites? That’s a bit generous!

5:12pm Tuesday 3rd July 2012 in Billericay Town & Concord Rangers: Conference South By James Colasanti

GLENN Poole laughed off predictions that Billericay Town are fifth favourites to win the Conference South after yesterday’s fixture list handed them an opening day visit from Truro City.

The experienced midfielder says their home form this season will be crucial and that their debut in the Conference South should be a season of “consolidation”.

But he said he was delighted Town had kept together the bulk of their Ryman Premier-winning squad and said he’d love them to be this season’s “surprise package” in the division.

He said: “I don’t care how big your club is or how much backing you’ve got, when you come up a division, your first season should always be a year of consolidation.

“But there is always a surprise package, and this year it could be us. When I was at Braintree we were 33/1 to win the league, but we did. And last year it was Basingstoke surprising everyone. So it could be us this year.

“I saw the other day that someone had us at 9/1 to win the league and fifth favourites. I think that is being a bit generous to us to be honest – unless there has been a massive boost to the budget overnight!

“But we are a good side and very together as a team, so I hope the least we can achieve this year is a mid-table finish.”

Poole said he expected Eastleigh, Dover Athletic and Welling United to be the teams to catch in the division. But he was happy with their opening day fixture with Truro and said he hoped there will be a good turn-out at New Lodge.

He said the Christmas time derbies with Hornchurch and Chelmsford would capture people’s imagination, but that it was another less obvious fixture which had caught his eye.

He said: “I’m quite looking forward to the trip to Staines in September because I used to live half-a-mile away from the ground when I was playing for Brentford.

“Some of the Brentford fans used to go and watch the Staines games so it will be nice to catch up with some old faces – but I won’t be going there to do anyone any favours!”

FULL FIXTURE LIST IN TUESDAY'S ECHO