Dowson Kept His Promise And After Very Bold Statement

But Alan Dowson says his early April promotion promise to fans when things were looking suspect just showed his total confidence in his players.

The Woking manager declared “we’ll still go up” as Torquay United were about to take the National League South title.

He repeated that statement after a nervy play-off semi-final win over Wealdstone.

It was a risky strategy to say the least - especially considering Billericay Town owner Glenn Tamplin’s vow that his team would win the title back in August.

But Dowson says there was method to his madness and it paid off as Woking sealed their National League South return on Sunday with a 1-0 victory over Welling United.

“I said it because I knew the lads could play in the big games,” the Geordie manager told us.

“I knew that we were playing in ten-a-penny games (because Torquay had won the league) and I mean no disrespect by that.

“In the run-of-the-mill games maybe we struggled a little bit, but in the big games I knew we would come good.

“I had total confidence in them. We have leaders and I knew we would come good.”

It’s a totally different feeling from last year, play-off defeat as Hampton boss against a stubborn Braintree.

Sunday, in front of nearly 5,000 fans, was why he said yes.

“I have always wanted this job, I make no secret of that,” he said.

“We are going to need to start thinking straight away.

“We’re in a whole new league. There’s a lot more travelling, and a lot better players in the National League - we have to start work right away.”