Hitchin Town Football Club

Anyone from top five can win it, says Payne

Thursday, January 21 2010

Canaries manager Colin Payne believes anyone from the top five of the Zamaretto Midlands Division could end the season as champions, and refuses to rule out other contenders in the chase for the title.

Payne is unhappy that a recent report in the Non-League Paper misquoted him and clumsily represented his case. “We fear all of the top five and are fully aware that games with Bury, Slough, Burnham and Chesham will be very influential in the outcome of the campaign. But there are others – Arlesey Town are sure to be there or thereabouts and teams like Sutton Coldfield could easily come from mid-table to make a challenge,” he said.

But Payne is happy with Hitchin’s position among the front-runners. “Twenty-one other clubs would swap with us at the moment, but we have a long way to go. We’ve all got to play each other again and I would not bet against any of the teams around us. But we have done very well and although we drew at Bedworth, I was happy with the amount of chances we created. We are quietly confident about our chances this season.”