Director Mark Kidd has explained how Herne Bay’s new-look board are keen to ensure the club enjoys first-team success - but will be striving to achieve it in a sustainable manner.

Plenty of off-the-field work is ongoing at Winch’s Field with plans for a new cafe, alongside improvements to the kitchen and turnstiles under way this summer - as well as hopes for a new food outlet to be available in time for the new Isthmian South East season.

Many clubs will be out for promotion during the campaign and general manager Kidd doesn’t expect Steve Lovell’s side to be any different.

On the hierarchy's longer-term plan for the club, Kidd said: “To build something that’s sustainable.

“It’s not a case of just putting the budget up and then bringing it down again. It’s about building a sustainable club.

“I think it would be wrong to say we don’t want that (promotion). But we’re looking to consolidate and rebuild.

"As a club, we have experienced a higher level before.

“Every club has ambitions to go up. But we’re not in a mad rush to do it because, ultimately, I think what supporters want to see is a competitive team.

"If we go up, we’ll want to stay there.”

Kidd first joined Herne Bay as the club’s head of veterans football, having spoken to then-chairman Stuart Fitchie, before joining the Bay board in 2023. He had been chatting to new chairman Matt Barman prior to his appointment about the situation at the club.

“I joined as the Vets manager,” the 54-year-old said.

“I got a call from the then-chairman to say Herne Bay were starting a Vets team up.

“When Herne Bay said they wanted to launch a vets team, I said ‘Let us be your vets team!’. That’s how I got involved with Herne Bay.

“Then, when everything happened with the old chairman, I joined the board last June.

“We kind of struggled through last season week-to-week with various issues. We had a lot to do but we managed it.

“I know Matt from the vets’ stuff. We were just talking about the situation at the club and I think he quietly went away, got some interested parties on board, and said they want to help.

“All they’ve done, in essence, is given us some interest-free money as a loan.

“That doesn’t mean we can clear all of our debts today - or tomorrow.

"But that has helped us stabilise.”

Dan Tanner - Barman’s No.2 when he was Lordswood manager until earlier this year - has taken on the role as director of football.

Kidd said: “He has been doing his job in terms of helping in putting the under-23s team and all the teams together.

“He has the under-18s’ trials next weekend. It’s looking really good so far.”

Lovell and son-assistant Mark Lovell performed above expectations last term on the field as Herne Bay narrowly missed out on a top-five finish.

“The on-the-pitch success last season was really good,” said Kidd. “They did very well.

“But for a couple of draws that should have been wins, we could have been right in the mix.

“That’s not to say we would have gone up - there were some good sides in the play-offs - but even being in the mix would have been an excellent achievement.

“I don’t have a view, really, on what our targets will be this season. I’m general manager - that sort of stuff isn’t my remit - but it’s certainly going to be a different season this season.

“Off-the-pitch stuff, I would say that has been a struggle.

"But the club has been going for a long time and we don’t want it to sink under our watch.”

Michael Salako was crucial to that success.

And Herne Bay have fended off higher-division interest to keep hold of the 27-goal striker - although Lovell is playing his cards close to his chest in terms of the make-up of the rest of his new-look squad so far.

“He’s always said that he enjoys playing here,” said Kidd of Salako. “He’s really smiley around the club.

“We were aware that he would get other offers. He scored a lot of goals last season - and people want that - but we wanted to make sure he stayed and we’re really pleased that he did.

"That’s really good news.”