Salisbury City manager Nick Holmes

THANKS to all supporters who submitted questions for this month's Ask Nick! feature.

If there is a question you'd like to put to the City boss for next month's feature, email it to mike.turner@salisburyjournal.co.uk before noon on Friday, May 11.

Youth team...

Q. Is there anyone in the current youth team squad you feel is ready to step up a level in the same way Charlie Knight did last season?

A. "Nobody is ready just yet, but the likes of Nick Eastham, Joe Fisher and Jamie Barren are very promising."

Reserves...

Q. Do you think the new league the reserves are entering next season will be more beneficial to the club and players than the Capital League has proved?

A. "Hopefully. Most games will be on Saturdays. It will mean a chance to keep on the majority of this year's youth side and give them a chance to show if they are ready for the rigmaroles of Conference football. Midweek games for first team subs are usually easy to arrange, and that will keep them fit."

Ground improvements...

Q. When will a decision be made on whether the improvements to the ground are satisfactory should we win promotion?

A. "Our inspection is on the 18th April. I believe they will tell us that day."

Finances...

Q. With all the money from the FA Cup run spent on the ground developments, would we be still be financially secure if we went up to the Conference?

A. "The club will be sound if promotion is gained or not, but another cup run next season would help again!"

Pitch...

Q. While accepting that the bad weather we had earlier this year has played its part in affecting the playing surface at the Ray Mac, is it time to get a full-time ground staff at the club just to look after the pitch/es?

A. "We now have someone looking after the pitch on an almost full time basis. One of our biggest problems on the pitch is the fact that we still have to do our training twice a week on it, so all in all it has stood up to the wettest winter for many years very well."

Hooligans/crowd problems...

Q. A number of us supporters are growing rather concerned by unsavoury incidents at the ground in recent weeks, which seem to be getting worse each game.

A section of the crowd now seem intent on swearing or chanting obscenities at opposing supporters or goalkeepers throughout all 90 minutes of the home games, which is frankly embarrassing to those of us who want to continue bringing younger children with us.

Since you took over, the club has been really good at promoting a family-friendly image, but lately things have changed and little seems to have been done about it.

Can the stewards please be more pro-active in dealing with such issues? The announcer always requests supporters to refrain from using bad language and the club's programme makes reference to its code of conduct.

You expect a bit of banter at grounds, but the swearing in particular is now getting out of hand and a number of us older supporters are starting to feel uncomfortable about bringing our children to the ground.

Turfing a couple of the oiks out in full view of their mates would surely show the club meant business and hopefully bring the others back into line.

Yes we need more new supporters, but surely not at the cost of losing your old ones.

A. "We certainly do not want to lose any supporters old or new. There is no need for continuous bad language, and I know that the chairman will have a chat with the boys so as to make sure that this does not continue. When the ground opens up again, there will also be many good viewing places from all corners to watch from."

Play-offs...

Q. Now that it looks likely we'll be involved in them, what are your thoughts on the play-offs? Good thing/bad thing or merely an end of season money spinner?

A. "I personally do not like the play-off system. A team that finishes 7th in our league has the possibility of promotion this way and that cannot be right. A good money spinner but not good for the ticker!"

Q. Wouldn't it be fairer if the top two from the Conference South and North went up automatically, and the third place team in the South played the third place team in the North for a possible fifth promotion slot? The winner of that tie would then face the team finishing fifth from bottom of the Conference for the ultimate play-off!

A. "This sounds a much better way."

Q. How important is it that having had our blip,' we finish the season with some form and confidence as we go into the play-offs?

A. "To go into play-offs with some form behind us would be very helpful, and we could be getting some important players back around then which should also help."

New kit...

Q. What's the new kit like? When will it go on sale?

A. "The kit is not dissimilar to the last two years, and may go on show in the next couple of weeks if all goes well. We would hope general sale to be ready for the end of June."

Q. Will the away kit stay the same as this season's or will we go back to the red one we wore at Hillsborough?

A. "We have decided to change the away kit as well. We are moving all our kits whether training, playing or leisure to an Italian firm called Macron, so could not go with anything Nike for next year."

Fans' forum...

Q. Any thoughts on holding another Q&A session with supporters before the end of the season? Perhaps you, plus Tommy Widdrington, one of the directors and maybe a couple of players could sit at the top table answering questions from supporters? I'm sure people would pay a couple of quid to come along.

A. "We will either do one at the end of the season or during pre-season."

Pre-season friendlies...

Q. Any news on who we'll be playing in the pre-season friendlies?

A. "We have a couple pencilled in, but the league we are in will determine if they go ahead."

Season tickets/admission...

Q. What is the situation with season tickets for next season? Will you be able to keep the same price, or would admission charges have to go up.

A. "Again the league will have a major say in prices."

Q. Will children still be admitted free if we gain promotion?

A. "No decision as yet though the success we have had from it, it would be unlikely to change."

Injuries...

Q. Have you ever known a team suffer so many injuries at one time - what about when you were a player?

A. "I have never been involved whether playing or managing with a team that has had so many injuries especially in the same positions. It has obviously cost us some points, but as I mentioned earlier, they all could be back come the play offs."

Q. Tim Bond (defender), Tommy Widdrington and Wayne Turk (midfield), Paul Sales/Marvin Brown (forwards) - that's the backbone of your team injured? Awful bad luck.

A. Awful bad luck! Add Allan Neilsen and Danny Clay plus suspensions to Matt Tubbs and Ryan Clarke, that is the spine down the middle."

Q. Do the amount of injuries we've picked up have anything to do with the state of some of the pitches at this time of year (our own included)?

A. "They do not help and a couple of the knocks would have probably not occurred on a sound, flat pitch."

Smoking...

Q. Will the stadium be a completely non-smoking area when the law changes later this year? Nothing worse at football than standing behind someone smoking a couple of steps in front of you and their smoke wafts into your face.

As a non-smoker, I really enjoy being in the bar after a game now. Can go home without my clothes stinking of cigarettes. Would be great if you extend the non-smoking ban to the terraces as well as the Sarum Suite.

A. "I would like the stadium to go completely non-smoking, but no decision has been made from the directors."

Histon...

Q. Worthy champions or very lucky that we suffered all the injuries when we did?

A. "42 games won't lie. They are a good, effective side. Certainly not a side that will get it down and play but their set pieces are repetitive and very good."

3:19pm Friday 13th April 2007

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