Herne Bay director Mark Kidd on how Winch’s Field club are striving for sustainable success as chairman Matt Barman leads new-look board

Director Mark Kidd has explained how Herne Bay’s new-look board are keen to ensure the club enjoys first-team success - but will be striving to achieve it in a sustainable manner.

Plenty of off-the-field work is ongoing at Winch’s Field with plans for a new cafe, alongside improvements to the kitchen and turnstiles under way this summer - as well as hopes for a new food outlet to be available in time for the new Isthmian South East season.

Many clubs will be out for promotion during the campaign and general manager Kidd doesn’t expect Steve Lovell’s side to be any different.

On the hierarchy's longer-term plan for the club, Kidd said: “To build something that’s sustainable.

“It’s not a case of just putting the budget up and then bringing it down again. It’s about building a sustainable club.

“I think it would be wrong to say we don’t want that (promotion). But we’re looking to consolidate and rebuild.

"As a club, we have experienced a higher level before.

“Every club has ambitions to go up. But we’re not in a mad rush to do it because, ultimately, I think what supporters want to see is a competitive team.

"If we go up, we’ll want to stay there.”

Kidd first joined Herne Bay as the club’s head of veterans football, having spoken to then-chairman Stuart Fitchie, before joining the Bay board in 2023. He had been chatting to new chairman Matt Barman prior to his appointment about the situation at the club.

“I joined as the Vets manager,” the 54-year-old said.

“I got a call from the then-chairman to say Herne Bay were starting a Vets team up.

“When Herne Bay said they wanted to launch a vets team, I said ‘Let us be your vets team!’. That’s how I got involved with Herne Bay.

“Then, when everything happened with the old