After winning back-to-back promotions, Bottesford Town manager Raz Clayton is now preparing for his 41st season in management.

He is taking the Birch Park outfit into division one of the Northern Counties East League - the highest level they have ever played at.

He may be older and he may be wiser than when he first stepped into management, but he has lost none of his colourful personality.

A former fresh-faced junior with Scunthorpe United, his own playing career was cut short by injury and he went into management with Brigg Town in the 1960s.

He left the Zebras for a short spell at App-Frod before returning to the Hawthorns to lead Brigg to a magnificent two FA Vase successes.

Three years ago he tried to retire from the game after leaving the Zebras - but quickly bounced back at Birch Park in charge of Bottesford, leading them to two successive promotions in the Central Midlands League, finishing as supreme division champions last term.

"I love being involved in non-league football" he confessed.

"But it is getting harder and harder these days to find players.

"Years ago I would go out for a couple of nights watching games and players would sign there and then to play for you - but it's different now.

"In my view there just aren't the players around now that there used to be, certainly not in this area - and it's the same in Grimsby and Lincoln.

"You look at the top clubs. Rafa Benitez now goes to Spain for his players, Arsene Wenger looks to France, Jose Mourinho turns to Africa - but when I go to Hull for players, I get slagged off for it!

"One of the problems we have in this country now is the number of kids who are disillusioned with football.

"They are taken on at a young age by the professional clubs - but only a few of them ever make it.

"What happens to the rest? Where do they go?"

Clayton is pleased with the squad he has pieced together at Bottesford.

"They are a good set of lads and I will be disappointed if we don't do well in the Northern Counties East League - particularly if we can get a couple more in" he added.

"We haven't even got the registration forms yet to sign them on, but we are back in pre-season training at the beginning of July.

"We have a friendly against Scunthorpe United at Birch Park on July 25th.

"The club have done a tremendous amount of improvement work at the ground.

"A lot of people have put in a lot of hard work, with the help of some good sponsors.

"Finding success in non-league football is hard work - you've got to have a laugh and a sense of humour.

"The reorganisation of football at this level is causing a bit of uncertainty for next season.

"There's talk, for instance, that Scarborough might be back competing at this level again, we just don't know yet."

But whatever the opposition, there will always be some blunt talking in the Bottesford dressing room as Clayton gets his team-talk across to his players.

He has hardly ever known anything but success as a manager - and that's unlikely to change now.

"There will be four or five teams up there challenging in our league next season - and I will be disappointed if we are not one of them" he insisted.