by Matthew Panting

Welling boss Jamie Day paid tribute to his players and backroom staff after they were officially crowned Blue Square Bet South champions on Monday night.

Salisbury's defeat at Sutton meant that any outside hopes they had of overhauling the Wings in the final week of the campaign were over.

"I don't think it has sunk in yet," said Day, who took over as Wings manager in November 2009 after leaving Dartford. "I can't thank the staff enough for their hard work and all the boys we've used this season.

"It shows that if a club is willing to give a young manager a chance then you can make it work.

"No pressure was put on me to win the league but the boys are not here for the money. They are here for the right reasons, to play for me and the club.

"I'm so proud. It's a long, hard season and it takes a lot of time and effort. My staff take a lot of that workload off me as well. We had an aim to win the league in five years and we've achieved it in three years."

Day (pictured) pinpointed the defeat at Maidenhead in late October as a pivotal moment in Welling's season - the defeat sparked a furious reaction from the Wings player/boss and his squad responded by setting a new Conference South record winning sequence of 12 matches.

"We had a hangover at the start of the season but if you look at the Maidenhead away game then that was a stepping stone to what happened," said Day. "We weren't happy and a few home truths were told after that one - the response was amazing. I don't think that record will be broken for some time.

"The boys have carried that on for the rest of the season and they've been consistent."

Day has masterminded Welling's turnaround - they were in the relegation zone when he took over - which included the dark days of August 2010 when the club's future was at risk after an unpaid tax bill of more than £60,000.

The fans helped raise the money to save their club and Day's players and staff stayed loyal to the cause among the uncertainty.

"That's typical of the boys and staff," said Day. "They didn't walk away. They were dark days but people stuck together and this the reward for that.

"It never crossed my mind to leave the club. I'm going to enjoy the next few weeks and will certainly have a smile on my face now!"