THANKS again to all the Salisbury City supporters for supplying questions for our regular Ask Nick! feature.

This month you have put Nick on the spot regarding the progress of the ground development, City's FA Trophy run, the most recent signings and the manager of the month award (or lack of it)!

Anyone wishing to question Nick for our March feature should e-mail their question to mike.turner@salisburyjournal.co.uk before noon on Friday, March 16.

Ground developments...

Q. I've noticed that things seem to be moving at quite a pace with the ground developments. What exactly is being built and when will it be finished?

A. "Terracing of three to four steps will be erected on the two sides where the banks are or were. On either side of the scoreboard and Hopback sign there will be 75 seater stands. The lighting has to be improved and it would seem two more pylons on either side of the half-way line will have to be put up."

Q. Is it true that there will be extra seats in the new stand that's being built by the scoreboard?

A. "As in previous answer there will be 150 extra seats."

Q. Is the new stand just for away supporters? Will there be any extra tea huts/burger bars and/or toilets?

A. "If crowd segregation were needed one of the stands would probably be for away supporters. Eventually all amenities will be increased."

Q. It's great to see the work being done that will finally make the Ray Mac complete.' What will the ground capacity be when it's all finished?

A. "Over 5,000."

Q. We've had about a dozen 1,000-plus gates this season - should we get promoted what would the break even' figure be to enable us to compete properly in the Conference.

A. "Not sure, but I noticed Stevenage needed 2,750."

Car park...

Q. Please, please, please can the club do something about the state of its car park? I accept the weather hasn't helped lately, but I'd be happy to pay £2 a game if it meant the surface would be better than it is now!

A. "We tried to smooth out the car park on the Friday before the Bognor game, but unfortunately the rain took over! The lads that are doing the ground improvements are going to use their heavy machinery to improve the situation, but we are in the lap of the rain gods."

Q. Are there any plans to re-surface the car park? I don't think my old jalopy's suspension can take much more of the pot holes.

A. "Unfortunately to re-surface is not possible, as it is very expensive. As before, the club will try and smooth out asap but need some dry days."

FA Trophy...

Q. Best of luck against Stevenage Borough - what do you know about them?

A. "On current form they're one of the best sides in the Conference. We're having them watched this week to find their weaknesses and strengths."

Q. The Stevenage Borough manager has won the Trophy twice in a row with Grays, do you think we can stop him making it three in a row?

A. "Yes! If we keep our shape and play to our strengths, plus a little luck at the right times, we can win."

Q. This time last year we were about to go to Exeter City which at the time was as exciting as it had ever been for us. These past 12 months have been fantastic with one high after another. Is there a danger that we're now expecting too much? At the start of the season we'd have taken a top ten finish, the third round of the FA Cup and two televised games with Nottingham Forest and another FA Trophy quarter-final. Do you worry that if we lost at Stevenage and then missed out on promotion that this season would then go down as a failure?

A. "We do not talk of failure. We would be disappointed if we had little to show other than memories of this season."

New signings...

Q. Danny Clay looks to be a great signing - was he someone you'd watched for a while?

A. "Tom had spoken to Danny in the close season, but the lure of full-time football at Exeter City kept him there. We regularly spoke to their manager Paul Tisdale and when he was ready to release him we did the deal."

Q. Have to congratulate you on the arrival of Ryan Clarke, Jon Bass and Matt Robinson - I thought last season's defence was superb, but it's even better now. How do you rate the defence compared to others in this league?

A. "Our back-line is one of the best. The new signings and established players have all done their bit in taking us to another level."

Q. It may be controversial to suggest it, but do you think it's time to get another striker in? Paul Sales takes such a battering every game and Robbie's a great sub, but if Sales and Tubbs should be injured or suspended in the final weeks of the season I think we'd struggle upfront.

A. "We are always on the lookout for any player to improve us. If the right striker, midfielder or defender came along we would try to get him."

Injuries...

Q. When Tommy Widdrington, Jon Beswetherick and Michael Fowler are fully fit how are you going to keep those on the fringe of the first team happy? Players like Simon Browne, Robbie Matthews and Alex Haddow don't get enough first team action as it is.

A. "It may be difficult if everyone is fit, but with the amount of games we are to play in the final weeks, injuries and suspensions are sure to kick in, and all the squad will no doubt be used at some time or another."

Reserve team/loans...

Q. What's the situation with the reserve team's league? We don't seem to be playing anywhere near the amount of reserves game we did last year - and that wasn't many!

A. "The Capital League has not been a great success. We still have ten games to play, and have played only eight. We are looking for other solutions in the future."

Q. Players like Charlie Knight, Chris Knowles and Declan McGregor are great young prospects but what chance have they got realistically of breaking into the first team?

A. "Dec will be pleased with the young bit! At the moment they are valued members of the squad and could all come in and do a job in the short term. A good pre-season would be very important for them."

Hall Of Fame/60th birthday...

Q. Great idea with the Hall Of Fame. It's about time we paid some kind of homage to the club's past - things are going great now, but there are a lot of people who I think have been unsung heroes over the years.

Q. Players such as Scott Bartlett, Wayne Turk, Simon Browne and Paul Sales are obvious candidates for the Hall of Fame, but do you think players should be nominated if they're still playing for the club?

A. "I would have no problems with current members being nominated, but they should have given a long outstanding service to the club."

Q. What's the latest on the club's 60th anniversary book? When will it be published?

A. "You can pre-order now, and it will be ready in the summer. I will try and find a date and put it on the website."

Manager of the month...

Q. Thought it was a poor decision by the league not to award you the manager of the month award for January. Unbeaten in five league games (four wins, one draw) plus knocking a Conference team out of the Trophy. weren't you a bit miffed it went to two clubs who clearly hadn't done as well as us?

A. "Kiss of death! I am not a great one for personal awards. The team does the work. Those on the field plus a very good backroom staff are the ones who should get the recognition."

9:41am Monday 19th February 2007

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