Sheppey United beaten 1-0 by Merstham at home last Saturday are away to Burgess Hill Town this weekend - Director of football Matt Longhurst believes the club has great potential

Sheppey United director of football Matt Longhurst sees huge potential in the club.

Longhurst joined The Ites at the end of January to help with their aim of becoming self-sustainable at a higher level.

With Ernie Batten’s men chasing an Isthmian South East play-off spot this season, the club know everything else needs to keep apace.

Longhurst is starting at the bottom, hoping a bigger youth section will help further engage the local community, in turn boosting attendances and helping swell the first team budget. A crowd of 655 on Saturday for the game against Merstham was their second best league attendance of the season.

Longhurst helped get Ramsgate on the move and has since gained knowledge at both Billericay and Erith & Belvedere while also spending some valuable time with the hierarchy at ambitious step three side Cray Wanderers.

Batten, the club director, ground owner and manager, felt Longhurst was an ideal man to help grow Sheppey.

Longhurst said: “Sheppey already has the foundations, the 3G pitch is already down, it is ahead of where it was when I first went to Ramsgate.

“A lot of that stuff has already been done, we are already a few steps down the line. It is a case of enhancing it and throwing some of my ideas at it.

“This is what I have kind of done at other clubs as the manager but this time I haven’t got to focus on the results.

“It has been quite refreshing to be looking at the football side of the club without having to actually focus on the team.

Isthmian South East table

“Ernie asked for me to be involved with the first team, in terms of recruitment, analysis and coaching, and that is the first part but the real big thing he wanted me to do is to come in and grow the club from a football perspective