Gillingham women’s manager Josh Oatham is excited by what’s to come at the club.

The Gills have a new owner in Kevin Hake and a home ground to call their own, returning to Chatham’s Bauvill Stadium last Sunday.

• Record crowd as Gillingham Women return to Medway

Oatham had been in sole charge before the takeover but can no concentrate on managing the team.

His team followed up a narrow defeat to Oxford United on Sunday with a 1-1 draw at Crawley Wasps on Tuesday night.

“The future is exciting,” said the manager.

“We are back in Medway, at a really good club and I think we are really lucky. We have been well backed by Kevin, he has really helped us, it’s upwards for sure.”

Oatham ensured the team continued after Gillingham FC let them go because of financial concerns. They had been part of the set-up at Priestfield.

He said: “You play with the hand you are dealt. I personally didn’t want the club to fold two years ago, we did something pretty marvellous last year, a top six finish. It was the first time the club had done that in 10 years, even when it was part of a professional set up.

“I knew that we needed to move in a different direction and for me, to be a manager, to focus on the team was where I wanted to be.

“Kevin (the Chatham Town chairman and manager) has the experience of running a well-run club and it makes perfect sense to work together. We have already been a fantastic team and I am really proud of what we are building here, it is really exciting.

“Me and Kevin have had some good talks, I am excited by this project, that is why I am still here and why I want to keep building this club.

“We both know where we want to be, this year is about building and next year is about really going for it and that is what excites me.

“I want to push on. I have met some really good people in business and football and Kevin has got more ambition than a lot of people and that cries out to me and why I am still here. I don’t want to be a mid-table side, I want to be top of this league! I honestly believe that is where we are heading.”

Gillingham are away to Millwall Lionesses this Sunday in the first round of the FA Women’s Cup.

There are plenty of home games coming up for the Gills at Chatham, including two more league games before Christmas.

They play Cheltenham at home on Sunday, December 11 and then Milton Keynes Dons the week after at the Maidstone Road ground. Games against Watford, Ipswich and Portsmouth follow early in the new year while the club will be hoping to progress in the FA Cup.

Weekend opponents Millwall play in the London & South East Regional Premier Division and are top of the table.

Last week’s game against Oxford attracted a record crowd for the Gills and Mr Hake said: “It will be nice if the community comes out and backs us again (when they are at home again) and it will be nice to see the attendance hopefully rise, let’s build this club.”

Mayor of Medway Cllr Jan Aldous was among those in attendance last weekend and was impressed.

She said: “I thought it was absolutely fantastic, what really pleases me is what Kevin is doing for our local community.

“We were absolutely delighted to be there and Tony (her husband and consort) and I to watch, it was brilliant. We were here recently for the Queen’s Award and it is all working for the community, we are so proud to have Kevin in the community doing what he is doing, and working with so many of the local charities.

“Not long ago we had the Chatham carnival and (Chatham Town FC members) were going along giving out tickets and they gave a little boy a ticket and he went straight to his dad, saying ‘dad, dad, can we go to a real football match?!’ I thought, Kevin has done that, that child will go and probably support the club for the rest of his life, that is what happens when you are young.”