NOW that the dust has well and truly settled on our promotion celebrations, it is now the serious business of planning for next season.

I am quite pleased with the pre-season programme that we have got so far because of the quality of clubs coming to Edgar Street they dictate, more or less, the day we play them on.

This leaves us short of any Saturday afternoon fixtures at present.

So our priority now is to get a good quality match just to get some acclimatisation to playing at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon.

Then, of course, there is the formulation of the squad for next season.

It is very early days and, apart from the odd signing at other clubs, generally the situation is very quiet.

I am currently spending a lot of time talking to players, to agents and to other clubs.

There seems a willingness from decent-sized clubs to work with us in terms of loaning us players.

We have a good reputation for looking after, particularly, younger players at the club and so managers are more than willing, at this stage, to talk about the principle of allowing some of their players to get experience in our first-team.

However, most of them are of the same opinion. They would like their young players to join in part of their pre-season before making a final decision.

We have examined the budget very carefully. There has to be scope for higher wages both for existing players and new ones coming in.

But the principle of living within our means will still apply.

It is very easy for clubs to get themselves into financial difficulties. It is very easy to rely on individuals to put money into clubs, to underwrite losses.

Over the last five years, we have run the club on sound financial principles and, whatever, happens, that road will not be deviated from.

Two promotion seasons in three years proves it can be done. Now we face the biggest challenge so far.

We matched ourselves fairly successfully against a number of clubs from League 1 in knock-out competitions last season.

There is uncertainty of whether we can use cup matches as a gauge to our credentials. But, again, the principles of decent players, good levels of fitness, good organisation and high motivation will provide success for any club.

And we have had all those attributes in abundance at the club in the last three seasons.

The games I saw at League 1 level and, in particular, the televised play-off matches indicated that there is a very high quality in there but the challenge holds no fears for us. Nor should it for the players.

It is an opportunity for them to go to some big clubs and pits their wits and ability against good quality players.

I, for one,firmly believe that we are more than capable of holding our own in League 1.