Dartford chairman Steve Irving says relegation to Isthmian Premier ‘not terminal’ but still a shock

Dartford chairman Steve Irving admitted he’s been shocked by their relegation but insists that dropping down a division is not terminal.

The Darts will be playing Isthmian Premier football next season after a dismal National League South campaign.

Dartford finished fourth-bottom after winning their final game of the season, 2-1 at home to Truro last weekend.

In an honest and forthright interview, Mr Irving admitted mistakes had been made in the past 12 months but vowed the future’s still bright at Princes Park.

“Of course, it has shocked us,” he stated. “The last few years, it’s been second place or fourth place and play-offs, we’ve lost in the play-offs for four of the last six years.

“We thoroughly expected at the beginning of the season that we’d be up there challenging for the championship, let alone the play-offs.

“Although we’ve had one or two heavier defeats recently, so many of the games have been one-goal defeats, and late goals.

“I think one of the key factors has been the fitness levels haven’t been up to the norm and we’ve faded a bit towards the end of games and conceded late goals.

“Obviously, it’s been a very disappointing season. It’s not something we expected was going to happen.

“Even in the last few months where we made the managerial change, we seriously expected we’d be able to avoid relegation but things didn’t really improve in terms of results, although I believe that performances were much better.

“The players were more together and, on the whole, they worked their socks off and put in a pretty good shift to the end. It was nice to get the win on the last day of the season and in front of a decent crowd, given we were already relegated.”

Dartford started the season under the management of Alan