Steve King: Hawks Done And Dusted? Not A Chance

But the Whitehawk manager isn’t interested in talking negatives, even though there's enough of them floating about.

Not only sitting bottom of the Vanarama National League South but in charge of one of the only clubs in the country who have yet to win a game, it would test the patience of a saint.

For someone like King, it hurts. “Well, it hurts that every manager every week is telling me that they can’t believe this is the side that hasn’t won a game!” jokes the former Lewes, Northwich Victoria and Macclesfield boss, well regarded throughout the Non-League circuit.

“People see us giving clubs a run for their money most weeks now, but I suppose the proof of the pudding is in the eating and we’ve yet to get out of the trouble we find ourselves in.

“This is the toughest I have ever had it in football, but I will turn this group into a winning group - they are getting there, but things are different from when I was last here and I think most people respect that.”

Talk about earning your corn, King has signed 16 new players since returning to the Enclosed Ground in the middle of September following the exit of Jimmy Dack.

So far, they’ve not managed to secure that elusive first win. They side were bottom a long way before he arrived, and after seven games there is signs of progress.

But when win number one does come, King says, watch the Hawks start to spread their wings.

They try again on Saturday with a home game against last season’s beaten play-off finalists Chelmsford City.

“Do I think we can still stay up in my heart of hearts? Yes I do, 100 per cent,” he said. There’s something like 75 points to play for - we can build momentum one we get the first three points on the board. I know we can. We have let 17 players go - we're building a squad mid-season and that is very, very tricky.

“But I am very confident. Why? Because slowly players are becoming available, and I’m getting the team together that I want. Once I do, we’ll be stronger. It’s a hard ask, it really is, but I’m a positive person - I’m not paying lip service to it, I think we can still get ourselves out of trouble.

“If I would have changed one or two players in my first month we would have been down by Christmas. We’ve got time still, and every week we are getting better. I have only started to build this team over the past three or four games and things don’t just click overnight.

“It’s a matter of time before we win our first game and I honestly think when we get over that line everyone will see what we’re made of.

“The fans have been first class and we’re getting things together. They can see that. I’ve never been involved in something quite like this but do I believe I can get us out of it? Absolutely I do.”