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Boss Kevin Hake admits Chatham’s title-winning season has been beyond his wildest dreams.
Chats beat play-off chasing Cray Valley 2-1 at the Bauvill Stadium to be crowned Isthmian South East champions at the first attempt back at the level on Saturday with a game to spare, having been promoted from the Southern Counties East Premier Division last term.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said Hake, whose side will host Welling in their Kent Senior Cup Semi-Final on Tuesday and visit Littlehampton in the league next Saturday.
“From where we’ve come from, it’s beyond our wildest dreams. To get back-to-back promotions is something that you only dream about, especially after losing the first league game of the season [1-0 at East Grinstead].
“But I go back to the Whitehawk game five games ago [which they lost 1-0 - the last time they dropped points]. I said to the boys ‘You’ve got to go and win seven now’... All right, we’ve done it in six.
“Now, we can enjoy a nice Semi-Final against Welling in the Kent Cup and then we’ve got Littlehampton away, which will be a bit of a party for us.
“I’m just pleased we could do it at home in front of all our fans because they’ve been absolutely outstanding this season.
“There was another crowd figure of more than 2,000 today. They’ve come out in their droves and it’s just unreal.”
Chatham led at half-time thanks to a Jack Evans penalty before experienced defender Matt Bodkin struck after the restart and, despite skipper Denzel Gayle pulling one back for the Millers late on, Chats held on in front of a crowd of 2,329 and can now begin preparing for life in Isthmian Premier.
Indeed, they didn’t lose at home in the league all season in a remarkable record which dates back to October 2021.
Hake said: “It’s been a great league.
“Everyone has challenged us but our home form has been great. That’s us undefeated at home all season, which is unreal.”
While Chatham were promoted last season to Step 4, despite being able to amass 100 points, they finished behind a Sheppey side - who won a unique quadruple - in the league.
Hake added: “Ironically, we’ve won it on 76 points this year.
“But that just goes to show the standard of the division, it’s a great division. The Isthmian League is a great league to be in.
“Kellie [Discipline, league chief executive] does a great job and I’m really pleased to be a part of it, and looking forward to being in Isthmian Premier and testing ourselves against different opposition.”
Chatham lost twice at home this term despite their unbeaten league record, going down 3-1 to title-chasing Isthmian South Central outfit Walton & Hersham last September in an FA Cup replay and losing 1-0 to Stowmarket Town, of Isthmian North, in the FA Trophy days later.
