Whitstable Town boss Jamie Coyle hails 18 months of progress on and off the field as attentions turn from FA Vase campaign to promotion from Southern Counties East League Premier Division

Whitstable Town may have been knocked out of the FA Vase but manager Jamie Coyle knows they’re still making big strides on and off the pitch.

The Oystermen have enjoyed a brilliant 18 months under Coyle’s tenure, including Wembley glory, a fine FA Cup run and ever-increasing crowds as they remain on course for promotion from the Southern Counties East League Premier Division this season.

Hopes of a return trip to Wembley were dashed after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Cockfosters in the last 16 but Coyle was keen to point out how far they’ve come - and that it’s been a team effort throughout the club.

“You’ve got to remember the FA Cup run that these boys have gone through this year,” he noted.

“We’ve broken records and got the furthest that the club’s ever gone. We’re 11 points clear in the league and we were FA Vase winners last season. So, we’ve achieved loads as a football club.

“But it’s not just the squad and the management team. As a football club, we’ve got three bars, you’ve got food huts opening, you’ve got 1,500 people at a game on a freezing cold, wet February afternoon and that’s how far this club’s come.

“Everyone’s been a part of the journey and everyone was feeling disappointed on Saturday.

“But this football club has achieved a lot in a short space of time and we’re all proud of that. We’ve just got to now turn our focus to getting out of the league.

“It’s a real collective drive and you’ve got the committee members, you’ve got the chairman, you’ve got so many volunteers that were here supporting the big crowd and the preparation of people taking days off work last Friday.

“There’s been a real togetherness from when we’ve come to this football club and you’ve seen that with the gates, you’ve seen it with