Ian's spirit is rubbing off on his Crusaders

CHILLI and cupcakes – they might not be the answer to everything but when Hungerford Town needed a lift, that’s what they got.

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It’s been a tough time for Ian Herring and his Crusaders. At the foot of the National League South table, last week the club announced a budget deficit that means the players are unpaid and the launch of a funding scheme.

So, last Thursday night – two days before they played high-flying Slough – the squad gathered together before training to air their concerns with chairman Patrick Chambers.

Then they tucked into some homemade vegetable chilli made by boss Herring and some cupcakes prepared by his wife Natalie before a game of darts. “Unfortunately everything away from football is the tough part,” Herring says. “It sounds mad considering the position we find ourselves in the league. But it’s been difficult, in the sense this time last year I was probably having the same conversation.

“I had a two-year contract. I know what I’m letting myself in for as a manager. There are a lot of managers out there who complain about their budgets or look over to other people with envy. My attitude with that is, ‘Go and find another job with a bigger budget then’.

“I put my reputation on the line every year for Hungerford, knowing full well we’ve got the lowest budget in the league. That’s not a problem for me because I’ll build a team and back my ability.

“There were certain promises made. We’ve got 15 players on contracts and, yes, I was aware it’s tough financially. In the run-up to Christmas we only had one home game in seven weeks, which is tough for any side.