Here we bring you an interview with Sidmouth Town manager Danny Burwood.

We caught up with Sidmouth Town manager Danny Burwood for a chat on all things Town.

First up we asked if he is going to be ‘sticking around’ and taking the club into the 2020/21 campaign - whenever that might be given the current Covid-19 crisis..

He replies saying: “Since joining the club at the start of the 2017/18 season when Richard Pears was manager, I’ve gained some very good friends and formed some great relationships with all members at the club. “It’s an honest club that try to run things as smoothly as possible without working above their means, but look to compete to the highest they can.

“In essence, this club is a manager’s dream! I’d be mad not to want to continue in the role.”

He continued: “Indeed, I am really looking forward to when we can get back to the business of playing football.”

Next up we asked Danny what was his ‘highpoint’ of the past season.

He answers: “The high point for me personally was having the opportunity to manage this club at highest level it has played at in its history.

“I suppose you could add that, yours truly scoring the last-minute winner in the 4-3 home win over Torrington – this in a game when we had been three down - was also a ‘special moment’!”

We also asked for the ‘low point’, to which Danny replied: “That has to be how the season ended. Both myself and Paul (Town head coach Paul Pocock) were very confident that we’d have come good in our last 15 games, especially as we still had to play, twice, four of the bottom six or seven sides in the division.

“Unfortunately, all that rain at the end of last year and the start of 2020 saw us playing precious little football and that was a time we had targeted picking up points against teams we’d like to think we would have been beating.”

He continued: “As for the season ending the way it did, I can’t see how there could’ve been any other option. The good folk who administer our league were, quite simply, always going to be in none of those, ‘damned if you do and damned if you don’t’ situations. Look, of course, we’d have loved the opportunity to show the real Sidmouth Town in the closing months of the season, but when you’re hitting the end of March and you’ve still got 15 games to play where we’d have found ourselves playing up-to three or even four times a week, it’d have been a very difficult time for all.

“I also feel that if the league had been concluded saying ‘average points for remaining games’ we’d have finished above Torrington anyway.

“It’s unfortunate for everyone, but especially those wanting promotion and the costs of ensuring this, so much goes into squads, planning, renovations and sponsorship!”

Finally, looking ahead to next season, the Town boss says: “Pokes [Paul Pocock] and I are looking to put together a squad capable of ensuring that we establish ourselves in this league!

“We are at a club that positively thrives on seeing the young players stepping up from what is a superbly organised and run youth system – that really is a credit to all involved.

“Clearly we need to initiate some change as that is something you need to happen in order to continue moving forward and making progress - both on and off the pitch.

“We will certainly look to strengthen in some positions. Last pre-season, with quite a few retiring, leaving, travelling and off to University, it was quite a mission simply rebuilding and replacing what we’d lost! That said, we were a young side last year with a few lads making quite a step up too! They have all been fantastic and a credit to the club. I know what’s needed for this coming season and can assure supporters that Paul and I will be working exceptionally hard to give the club the best possible chance of realising its goals and targets. Now, all we wait for is that wonderful green light which will say we can get back to life as we used to know it with regular training and matches. In the meantime I hope everyone stays safe and hopefully we will all be back together again soon.”