Histon manager Chris Nunn looking upwards after last season’s successful survival mission

Histon manager Chris Nunn is not shying away from talk of play-offs and promotion ahead of this weekend’s season opener.

Having inherited a side sitting second from bottom in the GCE Hire Fleet United Counties Football League Premier Division South last October, Nunn successfully guided the Stutes away from relegation trouble.

They eventually finished comfortably in 11th position, but this time around the former Biggleswade Town boss wants more.

Whether or not his team are good enough to be in the battle for Step 4 football will ultimately be determined over the weeks and months to come, yet that is certainly the ambition.

Nunn, who will see his side begin their 2024/25 campaign at home to Northampton Sileby Rangers on Saturday (27 July), said: “The target last year was trying to get us safe as quickly as possible and we achieved that.

“But there’s no doubt a club like Histon should be fighting to get out of the league at the top end – not the bottom end.

“Is there any pressure to get promoted? I don’t think so, and certainly nobody will put more pressure and expectation on us than I do.

“Will we be good enough to make the play-offs? I don’t know, but I’m not going to hide away from the fact it will be our ambition to get there. I’m not going to be one of those that just says we want to do better than last year.

“I didn’t join this club to just be happy with finishing in the top 10 or something like that.

“It’s a big ask to turn it around in a year or so, but we’ve got to go for it and that’s what we’ll be doing. If we don’t manage it then it won’t be for the want of trying.”

If Histon are to be in the promotion picture, then they are going to need to find the back of the net on a more regular basis.

And Nunn is hopeful that the recent addition of the attack-minded trio Luke Young, Charlie Black and Matty Allan will help to boost the goals return.

He added: “We try to analyse things as a management team and in the last few years no team has gone on to finish in the top five without scoring at least 70 goals.

“It’s no guarantee that even 70 will be enough, but we had to work out where that sort of number was coming from.

“We need goals from more than one or two sources and we think we’ve addressed that we’ve the recruitment we’ve done.

“Too many times last year we were winning by the odd goal but instead of extending the lead, we got pegged back and didn’t score again.”

Alongside those three attacking signings, Nunn has also signed centre-back Karl Saffery from Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division side Lakenheath.

And barring any unexpected long-term injuries, Nunn is not anticipating any more new arrivals before the big kick off.