Badshot Lea chairman Mark Broad says the club is in a good position to push on after a solid first season at Step 4.

The Baggies finished in 11th place in the Isthmian League South Central Division after winning promotion from the Combined Counties Premier Division South in the 2022-23 season.

This season was the first time Badshot Lea played at Step 4 in the club’s 117-year history.

“When you move up from Step 5 to Step 4 you’re not quite sure what you’re in for,” said Broad.

“Now the season has finished I can say from a chairman’s point of view it would have been fine if we finished fourth-bottom or fifth-bottom and stayed in the league.

“As you go through the season and pick up a few results you then think if we can go on a run we might have a chance of getting into the play-offs.

“To finish in a very respectable 11th place in our first season at Step 4 was a fantastic achievement.

“We did the double against Raynes Park – who only just missed out on the play-offs – and we also beat Leatherhead away.

“Overall, I think we had a good season.

“I look at the league next season and I think it will be a stronger league. We’ve got some big clubs coming into the league.

“Harrow Borough, Hayes & Yeading United and Kingstonian are coming down, Moneyfields, Rayners Lane and our friends over the roundabout at Farnham are coming up, and Horndean have been moved to our league.

“It’s an exciting league. We’re looking forward to hosting and travelling to all of those new teams.

“If you’d said to me a few years ago that Kingstonian and Leatherhead would be in the same league as us I wouldn’t have believed it.”

The Baggies have spruced up their home at Westfield Lane in recent weeks, with a new 50-seat stand installed next to the existing 100-seat stand.

“We got the new 50-seat stand in place and then we replaced the seats in the existing 100-seat stand,” said Broad. “The seats in both stands are claret and blue.

“We had the whole pitch seeded and fertilised at the start of May, and the pitch has now been cut.”

The hard work isn’t stopping at Westfield Lane, with a busy summer ahead.

“We’ve got some working party groups organised,” said Broad. “Our volunteers are fantastic.

“Our pre-season schedule is now confirmed – we’ve got nine friendlies arranged. We’ve got four fantastic home friendlies and five away games.”