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www.coalvilletownfc.co.uk spoke to first team manager Adam Stevens on Sunday to talk about the season gone by, the end of season awards, the upcoming season and transfer rumours.

CTFC: For the second season running Coalville bettered their record for finals points and final position. Do you think it's realistic for further improvements again next season and hopefully a title push?
Adam Stevens: I don’t see why not. We’ve laid the foundations and I thought we were extremely unlucky not to win the league last season as Barwell put in an outstanding season. I do think this season will be harder again though and we said the same thing at the start of last season after we’d finished third.
I’m looking to bring a few quality players in and hopefully we can keep the majority of the current players. Since I came to the club we’ve improved year on year but with that every season becomes tougher because the expectations get higher. If we can advance on the 96 points that we got last season then we’ll have improved even further and if we can do that then we won’t be far off winning it.

CTFC: Leigh Everitt got your vote as Manager's Player of the Year. What was it about Leigh's season that made him stand out above a number of other outstanding contributions last season?
AS: Leigh came to the club after missing a lot of games at Atherstone with his sciatic problem and if he had played 20 games for us at the age of 39 then that’s something that both myself and Leigh would perhaps have been happy with. As it turned out though he’s come to the club, trained as well as any of the young lads and been Mr. Consistency for us all season. If it wasn’t for the few weeks he missed towards the end of the season then he would have played in every single game.
The way Leigh conducts himself on the pitch - his enthusiasm and his consistency – was a major factor for me. Also I think a lot of players can take a leaf out of his book in the way he conducts himself off the pitch and in training. I just think he’s a credit to football and in many ways players such as Leigh are a dieing breed. For me it was a joy to give him that award.

CTFC: The other end of season awards were fairly spread around but were there any unsung heroes who didn't get an award who perhaps deserve a mention?
AS: I think all of the squad can be proud of their efforts for us last season. Everyone you look at played their part for us. I don’t like to pick individuals out as it was a good squad effort.

CTFC: What was the high point of last season for you?
AS: Securing the runners up spot was a massive lift. By that stage we knew we weren’t going to win it but to get the runners up trophy was a proud moment, not just for the players and me but for the club as a whole as it’s the best achievement we’ve had in terms of league performances.
In terms of indvidiaul performances a highlight for me was away to Tipton when we put in a difference type of performance, a real dogged showing. It was an away midweek performance where we dug out a win with a number of the squad missing.
In terms of the football we played then the performances away at Coventry Sphinx and Stratford Town were really, really good as we just zipped the ball around for fun.

CTFC: What was the low point of last season for you?
AS: Getting knocked out of the FA Cup and FA Vase competitions before we really got going in either was a massive disappointment. It’s debatable if we’d have had long runs in those whether we would have sustained the league form with the size of squad we’ve got but we always aim to do well in the national competitions.
Losing against Bardon was a massive low with it being a local derby but in terms of the squad it was still forming at that stage. We were a giant killer the year before against Stafford Rangers and on the day Bardon thoroughly deserved it. It’s a result which should make me a better manager and make the players better players having been on the wrong end of it.
The Vase defeat against Tipton Town was hard to take as we should have been out of sight by half-time but we didn’t take our chances and we got done in the end. Again though it’s a result which we learned a lot from and the way the players responded for the remainder of the season was excellent.
In terms of the league the only real lows were the back-end of the season when we fizzled out a little bit after we’d done all the hard work to get the runners up spot and missing out on promotion after having such a good season.
Another big low for us was losing Danny Hodgkinson with a broken leg because he was having a great season after I brought him. I was pleased as punch with how he was playing and the genuine quality he brought to us. He’ll come back stronger with us though.

CTFC: Chris Gibson and Alvin Jarvis both had injury hit seasons while Danny Hodgkinson and Danny Haynes both suffered serious injuries during the season. What's the latest on the fitness, or otherwise, of these players?
AS: Both Chris Gibson and Alvin Jarvis should be available for pre-season training and Danny Haynes is fit and raring to go which is like three new signings for us. Danny Hodgkinson has just started running again but it’s important that we don’t really put a timescale on his return because he’ll be ready when he’s ready and that will be a massive bonus to us.

CTFC: Last season saw Coalville running a reserve side for the first season with the likes of Anthony Carney and Joe Danvers making an impact on the first team. What are your hopes for the reserves next season and will you continue to look to give youngsters the chance at this level which some other clubs decline to do?
AS: If someone’s good enough then they’ll shine through and they’ll get their chance. It was the first season of us running a reserves and the way we look at it is if each season it can produce a couple of players ready for the first team then great stuff. It’s a long term process and as long as we’re moving in the right direction and it’s allowing us to bring through our own players then it’s great for the club.
Ant Carney came to the club from nowhere in the summer and shone out like a beacon for us. He’s a player I’ve got high hopes for. Also Joe Danvers is another player who took his chance when we gave it to him and he fits with the way that we play in that he’s very comfortable on the football. I’m expecting Joe to keep progressing this season.

CTFC: Last summer saw wholesale changes to your backroom staff with Danny Martin, Jimmy Gray and latterly Andy Toal joining the club. Are you expecting to keep the same backroom team with you for next season?
AS: Yes, definitely. Both Danny and Jimmy made outstanding contributions to what we did last season. Their ability shone through in training, in the changing room and on the side of the pitch and I can’t speak highly enough of them. Danny’s effervescent with his enthusiasm and he doesn’t accept anything less than 100% which is the ethic I’ve been trying to produce since I came here. Jimmy is a thinking man with a good knowledge of the game. I think both have been major acquisitions to the club.

CTFC: Even though it's still early rumours continue to circulate about players coming or going. Is there anything to report in terms of players going or new players coming in?
AS: No. Until players have signed on the dotted line and played their first game for us I don’t want to give too much away. I’m extremely positive though.

CTFC: Coalville have been one of the earliest teams in the area to return to pre-season training since your arrival at the club. When do you expect to begin pre-season training this season and when is the first pre-season friendly scheduled for?
AS: We’re back in on Tuesday night (1st June) for one night a week. I don’t believe in long breaks off. Eight weeks off just gives players the time to get fat and lazy and I don’t think it helps players who naturally struggle with their fitness. I’ve always been keen on fitness and it’s also important to do bits and pieces with the football.
With us coming back early it gives me a chance to talk to players, look at players and break everyone back into things gradually. I think a lot of players prefer it that way to having the whole lot to do in the couple of weeks before the first friendly. The few weeks break that we’ve had is enough and we’ll build it up towards the first game against Romulus on July 10th.

CTFC: Last season the Shed Enders and the C.E.C confirmed their status as the most vocal supporters in the league. From a manager’s perspective how much of a boost does it give the players when they have a support like that behind them?
AS: They’re an absolute dream really for myself and the players. All through the game they keep the support going and the way they’ve interacted with the players is great. There have been a number of games we’ve won where they’ve played a key role in urging us on and on. To have that sort of support at Alliance level is massive for us and it’s testament to those lads.

CTFC: Coalville’s crowds are consistently amongst the best in the league but do you have any comments for people who are considering coming down for their first game or even supporters who haven’t attended in recent times?
AS: Anybody who comes and watches knows that we try to pass the football and play the game in the right way. We’re a big town and we’ve got a good hardcore support but I always think the more the merrier. We play open, attractive football and last season we scored in excess of 100 goals so there’s never a dull moment and one thing you won’t see is boring football.

CTFC: Even though last season was full of positives there was a feeling that the team underperformed when big crowds attended Owen Street (Bardon, Barwell, Alvechurch, Tipton Vase, Sphinx). Do you think there's any one reason for this and is it something you hope to change next season?
AS: For me it should be that the bigger the crowd the better we should perform. It’s disappointing when that many people come down that we don’t show what we’re capable of because on the whole we’ve done really well. I think you can count our bad performances on the fingers of one had but unfortunately they’ve come when we’ve had big crowds down here. Perhaps the occasion got to a few of the players and it’s a way that the players can improve by showing that character to play their best football in the big games.

Thanks to "Local" for submitting a few questions.