King Is Desperate To Avoid One More Summer Stinger

Usually when the sun’s out it’s play-off pain he just can’t find an antidote for.

Now as the world hunts for a more important vaccine, it’s a waiting game to see if he’s got another play-off story to add to the list.

The Dartford manager knows it wasn’t job done, but a nine-point advantage meant a National League South promotion place finish was getting more likely by the day. They were even still chasing third place.

But it’s six play-off campaigns now for the manager, and not one of them has ended well.

There were three final defeats, as manager of Whitehawk at Boreham Wood in the National League South final of 2015. Then, going back a bit, a heartbreaking defeat as Farnborough boss to Ebbsfleet United in 2011.

Then last summer came the cruelest of them all, holding their own at Woking but Welling United lost when they were far from second best.

Don’t even get him started on semi-final anguish.

He parted company with Whitehawk before they played theirs in 2017, while Lewes twice couldn’t compete after getting in the top five because of ground grading issues.

Like everybody he is now sitting tight to find out if he can add 2019-20 to his ever growing list of achievements.

“You have got to say really that football doesn’t even really register in the grand scheme of things,” he told us.

“Football isn’t important when people are losing their lives and the NHS staff are working as hard as they are to save as many people as they can. That’s real life.

“This is a new and frightening thing for the world and football will start again when it starts again. We have now got to all be patient and look at the bigger picture. When the Government say football can start again we hope to be one of the leagues that get the OK to do so, because that’s how Leagues should be decided - on the grass. We are only 80 per cent through.

“We’re all missing football. We had a good chance of making the play-offs which would have been incredible. As soon as I came in we were always looking to next season but this one was turning into quite a good one!”

King is a glutton for play-off punishment.

He says last May’s defeat at Woking while in charge of Welling was a bitter pill to swallow - but that stomach-churning and all too familiar taste was never going to stop him going back for more.

“It was very, very hard because I know how close we were,” he said.

“But what do you do? You have to either lick your wounds and carry on or give up. I am not in a place to give up, regardless of my own personal experiences when it comes to the play-offs.

“You have to pick yourself up and look to the next challenge, but of course it was a very difficult summer.

“I was very down, we deserved more than we got - the players were fantastic and nobody expected us to do what we did.”

Likewise with what’s gone on at Dartford.

The club were in danger of exiting the division into the Isthmian League when King came in back in October. When football was paused there was real hope of leaving via the other end.

I’m his own words, there was no chance of putting together a promotion push - just focus on steadying the ship and getting his ducks in a row for 2020-21.

“And I meant it as well, 100 per cent,” King stressed. “We were joint fourth from bottom and we needed to stay in the league - that was the plan.

“I was told my remit was to stay up, bring some respect back, build and we would have another go next year. We changed a few players and it clicked quite quickly.

“People had become too comfortable so we had to change the mentality more than anything.

“Since I arrived we have managed to pick up 2.1 points per game. We are top of the 10-game, 15, 20-game and 25-game form guide. We were also top scores in the league with the second best defensive record as well.

“The players deserve to be where they are and of course it would be gutting if we don’t get the chance to finish the league with the play-offs, all three leagues should be treated in the same manner.

“Whatever happens we’ve got a lot to be proud of and although we are climbing the walls at the moment, we’ve got to keep in mind what’s going on.

“Hopefully there will be an outcome soon and we will know where we are.”