Manager Neil Cugley will take a wage cut next season to help fund Folkestone’s quest for the league title.

Invicta lost the play-off final on Saturday but even before that game, Cugley had put forward a plan to chairman Jim Pellatt as to how he could increase the playing budget.

In what will be his 19th season in charge of the club, Cugley will give up some of his pay packet to ensure he has a squad capable of winning Ryman League Division 1 South outright.

Mr Pellatt said: “We always had a Plan B if we didn’t go up. Plan B is to do what Burgess Hill did this year and go straight up, so we don’t have to do the play-offs again.

“We’ve already worked out a means of not increasing the budget in so many words but incentivising the players with win bonuses and the like.

“What’s fantastic is that Neil, who put the plan forward to me, has agreed to take a wage cut to contribute to it so we don’t spend money we haven’t got.

“That’s just a measure of Neil. He’s Folkestone through and through.

“It’s not my suggestion, I would never have asked him – because he’s worth every penny he gets – but he came to me and offered it, so that’s what’s going to happen.

“I don’t know of any other manager who would possibly do that. Even if I went on for a few hours, I wouldn’t be able to speak highly enough of him.

“We get on extremely well and he’s magnificent on the football side. We’re far from the highest payers and yet he still put out a team that finished second in the league.”

Full story and the best play-off coverage in the Folkestone & Hythe Express.