Faversham Town chairman Gary Smart outlines ambitions for 2026/27 Isthmian South East season and discusses lessons learnt from their 2022/23 relegation campaign

Chairman Gary Smart is targeting a top-three finish for Faversham Town ahead of the new season.

The Lilywhites are hard at work ahead of a second successive Isthmian South East term as they aim to improve on a seventh-placed finish.

While Town have never played Step 3 football - despite losing in the play-off final in 2013 and 2016 - it’s exactly what Smart’s sights seem set towards under new boss Steve Watt and assistant Frannie Collin.

Town have already signed keeper Tom Hadler, defenders Josh Hare, Harry Hudson, Jack Steventon, Lex Allan and goal-scoring midfielder Kane Haysman.

“If we can recruit well, with the nucleus of the team being proven at the level, we can push on for definitely the top three and try to get to the top spot,” said Smart.

“But it’s a tough league. We know what we’re up against.

"We know we have a lot of hard work to do.”

Smart reckons a prolific striker should now be at the top of Faversham’s list.

He was pleased with the brand of football they played in the season run-in under Watt and Collin last time out, and thinks the style also used by champions Three Bridges and play-off winners AFC Whyteleafe should be the way forward.

Smart said: “There really wasn’t a marksmen up there [for Faversham in the final matches of the season].

“But, with the football we played in the last four games, that’s definitely been on the floor rather than the long ball and feeding off that. That did well for us.

“If you look at Three Bridges and Whyteleafe, it’s total football. I watched Whyteleafe’s play-off semi-final at Jersey and they just dominated the football.

“Yes, maybe they need a striker, going into that next level, but Three Bridges have Noel Leighton and he is that striker. That’s one of the areas we