Herne Bay manager Ben Smith refusing to chase Isthmian South East promotion at any costs as Winch’s Field club keep powder dry regarding summer overhaul

Manager Ben Smith is refusing to chase promotion at all costs with Herne Bay.

While many of Bay’s rivals have started to unveil several eye-catching recruits already this summer, Smith is happy to bide his time ahead of a first campaign back in charge of the Isthmian South East side at Winch’s Field.

Smith said: “It’s silly season!

“We’re not going to pay over the odds for people. As much as we’re ambitious, it’s promotion - but not promotion at any cost.

“With what I see at other clubs, I think we have to be smarter about what we do.

“We have to go a different way about it because we’re not going to compete with some of the figures that are out and about. We have got to be a little bit more creative in what we do.

“We cannot compete with these clubs and what they’re doing. It will not suit us.

“We have got some players that have agreed to come in but there’s players we have missed out on because we’re not offering that sort of money. I don’t want to offer them another £50 per week, and the club are backing me.

“There’s no disappointment with where we are.

“Probably next week, there will be some more news but we won’t announce bundles of players.”

It’s an extremely different situation for Smith than the one he found himself in at Ramsgate as he eyed Isthmian South East promotion with them, eventually winning the title in April 2025.

“The club is well-backed and I’m really enjoying it,” said Smith, who is working closely alongside chairman Matt Barman and director of football Dan Tanner.

“At Ramsgate, I would sign players really early on and everything was done and dusted.

“It’s a bit different to that but, also, when five or six players became available, we then couldn’t really pivot over to them.

“We’re keeping some of