‘The squad we have now is more like mine and Ian Baird’s DNA’ – Hawks boss Paul Doswell on another close season of squad rebuilding

After arriving at Westleigh Park in the wake of the club’s relegation from the National League in May 2019, Doswell put his faith in experience.Ross Worner, Anthony Straker, Simon Walton, Dean Beckwith, Sam Magri, Andy Drury, Roarie Deacon, Danny Kedwell, Nicky Bailey and, later in the season, Bedsente Gomis were all in their late 20s to mid-30s.The only ‘youngsters’ were striker Jonah Ayunga and ex-Horndean right-back Benny Read.Doswell believed he needed experience to get out of the sixth tier at the first attempt, and but for the pandemic he might have achieved it. But after lying second when 2019/20 was halted in mid-March, Hawks subsequently lost in the play-off semi-final when it was eventually held in late July.There was a more youthful look to Doswell’s signings in the wake of the home loss to Dartford. Though there was some experience - Billy Clifford, Moussa Diarra, Godfrey Poku - there were also far younger players such as Theo Widdrington, Joe Iaciafano, George McLennan, Daniel Ajakaiye, Christian Rowe, Lucas Sinclair and Sam Dowridge.Even when Doswell dipped into the loan market, it was to bring in Oxford United teenagers Leon Parillon-Chambers and Nico Jones.The gamble failed, with Hawks - having only lost five of their 34 NLS games in 2019/20 - suffering six defeats in the 14 matches they managed to play in 2020/21 before the season was null and voided in mid-February amid a funding crisis.Fourteen league games is not a lot from which to draw huge conclusions, but Doswell and Baird had seen enough to know major change was (again) needed.A flood of new signings - again, in double figures - followed, including thirtysomethings Joe Oastler, Jamie Collins, Michael Green, Alex Wall and Scott Rendell.Abdulai Baggie is 29 and most of the other new faces - James Roberts, Josh Passley, Paul Rooney, Jake McCarthy and Charlie Searle - are around or approaching their mid-20s. Only one - ex-Coventry player Joe Newton (20) - is under 24.Explaining his recruitment policies, Doswell said: ‘When I came in two years ago the club had been relegated, players had left because we were reverting to daytime training, and it was important we put together a new team quickly.‘I believe we would have won the title if Covid had not kicked in.‘We were on a winning run (Hawks had won four league games in a row) and we were just three points behind Wealdstone. We were confident we would go on and win it.‘The first year we had gone for experience, players in their early to mid-30s.‘Year two we went for a much younger team. To be totally honest, they weren’t good enough.‘Last season was a complete waste of time.‘But even though we only played 14 league games, that was still enough for me and Bairdy to know the team wasn’t good enough to get us out of the league.‘Even before the season ended I knew we would need major rebuilding. We took a bit of a gamble and they weren’t good enough.‘It’s hard to judge on a season like last season, but the FA Cup and FA Trophy runs masked a lot.‘Bairdy said to me early on in the season we weren’t at the races, the young boys weren’t taking responsibility.‘A lot of players didn’t take their opportunities.‘It’s not something you want to do. Ideally, you would put together a team that would stay together for at least two years.‘I accept we are behind the eight ball in that respect compared to clubs like Dorking, Dartford and St Albans.‘Our average age now is 26.8, nearly 27 - that’s a fantastic age for a squad. We’re really pleased with the recruitment.‘The squad we have now is more like mine and Bairdy’s DNA - a big, physical side that can play a bit.‘That was what we had at Sutton, a side that knew how to win football games.‘We’ve brought in Paul Rooney, who’s 6ft 3, Alex Wall is 6ft 4 - the team looks a lot more imposing.‘Because we had lockdown, because our season ended in February, we’ve had more time than usual to look around and handpick the players we wanted - and we got most of them.‘We have signed players that know how to win at this level. That’s crucial.‘Compare that to a normal season, where you finish in April and then spend May and June signing players.‘I was able to take advantage of the financial crisis at Dover and sign Rooney and Passley.‘Wages have come down in lockdown - I wouldn’t have been able to sign those two last year.‘I have always rebuilt squads, unless a team is good enough.‘At Sutton we had a squad there for three or four years because we were winning.‘This squad now should be good enough to stay together for a few years.’Virtually no non-league clubs escaped the ravages of the pandemic in 2020/21, and Hawks were harder hit than most. There were a raft of postponements, due to players testing positive, and off the field some club officials were seriously ill.‘We were hard hit by Covid - Richard Pope nearly died of it,’ Doswell stated.‘We had five young lads living in a house in Winchester who were desperate to get home to see their families.‘That affected their mental wellbeing. It was sad to see.‘I’m confident (for 2021/22 being completed) in the sense of everyone doing what they should be doing, which is getting their double vaccination. If that happens, we should be ok.‘From my point of view, football without fans is pointless. You might as well go and manage in parks football, and you saw the standards drop.‘You have to remember that players have lost a couple of years of their careers. Say a career is 22 to 32 - that’s 20 per cent they have lost, a big chunk of their careers. People forget that.’Doswell is one of the most experienced managers in the NLS, having taken his first club job (at Eastleigh) almost 25 years ago. He had previously managed the Hampshire representative team for a season.Armed with all those years of managerial nous, he knows that getting out of the sixth tier is far easier said than done. ‘The Conference South in the last two seasons is the best I’ve ever seen it. It’s a high quality league,’ he said.‘You’ve got six or seven big hitters financially, but other teams are well organised. I’d say there’s 10 or 11 teams capable of finishing in the play-offs.‘That’s why we tried to bond the squad quickly by having eight friendlies. Normally we’d only have six.Having said that, we lost the Salisbury and Bournemouth games so we’ll end up with six which is about right.‘Ebbsfleet are a good club, well funded. They’ve signed four players this summer … I won’t say for how much, but it’s big money.‘Dorking were the best side last season, but Eastbourne were excellent, St Albans didn’t lose a game. Oxford City were excellent as well, they ripped Northampton apart in the FA Cup.‘People rarely mention Dulwich, who are full-time, or Chelmsford but they’re big clubs and well funded.‘We obviously expect ourselves to be up there, and I know it will be viewed as failure if we didn’t get in the play-offs.‘I always put pressure on myself to be up there every single season (of my managerial career), and I have mainly achieved that.’If Doswell can rewrite his own history again - and away from the playing side he has started to do that - then the future appears bright for Hawks.He oversaw Eastleigh’s rise from the Wessex League to the Conference South, and took Sutton from the Isthmian League into the National League play-offs. Ex-Hawk Matt Gray has since ‘laid the roof’ on his foundations by guiding the club into the Football League.‘When I took over at Sutton it was absolute turmoil. The pitch was horrendous, the facilities were shocking. The club was more concerned about not going down again from the Ryman,’ Doswell recalled.‘I went there to get out of my comfort zone, to show I could do it away from the local (Hampshire) are. What Sutton have done is an incredible achievement. I know their budget would have been in the bottom seven or eight of that league.‘I take immense pride in the fact that of the team who went up to the Football League, I signed seven of the players.‘The chairman (Bruce Elliott) rang me up and said I’d laid the foundations and built the house and Matt (Gray, Doswell’s replacement as Sutton boss) had put the roof on. That was nice of him to say.’He continued: ‘I can show that it’s worked (the Sutton template).‘We’ve put in a £600,000 pitch that is one of the best 3G pitches you will find in England.‘We’re spending a quarter of a million on a two-storey office block that will be the focus for the community.‘We’ve put in League 1/League 2 standard floodlights this summer.‘(CEO) Stuart Munro coming in with his business acumen has made a big difference, and the chairman (Derek Pope) has backed our vision.‘At Sutton people laughed at us for introducing £99 season tickets, but they got people in.‘When I took over at Sutton the average crowd was 400, when I left it was nearly 2,000. The reason for that is we made it a community football club. People who came along to use the 3G invested in the team by coming along to watch.‘This club has been in the National League and the chairman (Pope) wants more. He’s put his heart, soul and money into this club for almost 40 years. He’s one of the best chairmen you could find - he just lets you get on with it.’Regarding his latest new-look squad, the manager said: ‘Scott Rendell was a big signing late on. We were looking for another striker because we like to play with a little ‘un and a big ‘un up front and we didn’t have anyone else if Alex Wall got injured.‘We think we have all positions covered. We’ll be playing a central three (at the back) so we’ve got Jamie Collins, Joe Oastler and Sam Magri. Paul Rooney I’m looking to convert into a holding midfielder, but he’s a centre half by trade.‘Michael Green and George McLennan can play on the left side of a three and Jake McCarthy can play on the right side, so that’s six players who can play central.‘We’ve got Tommy Wright, Alex and Scott who can play up front, James Roberts will play more of a floating role behind the front two. Abdulai Baggie gives us the option of playing a 4-4-2, but he can also play the No 10 role.‘Benny Read coming back in September will be massive, as at the moment we haven’t got any real cover at left-back.’As for himself, Doswell, 55, maintains the hunger remains as strong as ever.‘Sometimes it does feel like 25 years, but I’ve kept my fitness and my enthusiasm. I’m still as motivated as ever,’ he declared.‘I think I would stop at 65. Our twins are 11 now, by the time they’re 21 that could be the time to do some travelling - I’d like to see England in the World Cup and the cricket.‘I’m still ambitious. The ambition now is to establish this club in the National League.’Asked if he would one day like to take a team into the EFL, he replied: ‘We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. The Conference South and National League are the hardest leagues to get out of.’

This article originally appeared in the Sports Mail 2021/22 preview special on July 31.