SALISBURY chairman Ian Hammond says that promotion is the first priority and it would be very disappointing if the club was not promoted at the end of the season.

Hammond, who has been chairman at the club since June this year, said: “Having come so close to promotion last season, our first priority is to go one better this coming season.

“We could not say that it is an expectation that we will end up as champions, though that is where the club’s ambitions lie.

“But the first priority is to ensure that the new squad gels together and plays football the way the manager wants it played and that we ensure good results throughout the whole of the season.”

The 71-year-old spoke about his first few months as chairman and director and said: “It has been both challenging and rewarding.

“I have not been surprised to discover that being involved in the running of a football club is not the same as managing a purely commercial entity.”

With regards to the club’s financial situation Hammond said: “I believe the club is now in a more settled position than it has previously been.

He said he has spoken to fans and they agree that they believe the club is stable,which Hammond said is important to take it forward to more positive times ahead.

The new chairman also added that he believes that Steve Claridge can attract better players to the club because of the facilities that the club has. He said: “The pitch and facilities at the Ray Mac are second to none at our level of Non-League football.

“We receive many compliments from visiting teams, including the League teams we were fortunate to play in friendlies in the pre-season period.”

On the team’s futue at the stadium, Hammond said Salisbury is happy staying at the Ray Mac, and has said the club is hoping to remain there for the foreseeable future.

Hammond (pictured inset) is confident the club will not need to rely on big crowds from away fans at the Ray Mac because the support from the home fans is enough.

Salisbury’s average home crowd last season, over 34 home games, was 733, which included games in the FA Cup, Trophy and Vase, but Hammond said: “It has to be remembered, that apart from Hereford, Salisbury attracted the largest home gates in the division and indeed attracts gates greater than many of the clubs in higher divisions.

“Whilst we attracted a large crowd for the home game against Hereford, that was only one of 21 League games and can certainly be made up if we can have a successful run in either the Emirates FA Cup or the FA Trophy.

“The majority of teams at this level,Salisbury excluded, do not take with them significant support and thus away supporters at the Ray Mac are not great in number. “It is therefore the enthusiasm of local and regular supporters which generate the majority of the income. Clearly the better the club is doing, the more the support is likely to grow. Salisbury is very fortunate that it has such a large and loyal support on which to base its future.”