TRAFFORD FC boss Tom Baker is out to continue the club’s upward curve next season.

And after getting most of his business done early in the summer, the Whites’ manager says he is happy with how they are shaping up.

Baker has brought in a handful of new signings but says the nucleus of the squad, which reached the final of the Manchester Premier Cup and made the Evo-Stik League North play-offs, has stayed together, looking to go one better next time around.

“It’s looking really good for us at the minute,” Baker told the Messenger. “I’ve done pretty much all I needed to get done in the summer, it’s been a busy time but it always is for managers.

“The main thing for us was to keep about 11 or 12 of last season’s squad, which we’ve done, and added four or five lads. We looked at a few things we just needed to strengthen and we’ve brought some strong characters into the dressing room.

“We didn’t need a massive overhaul but we’re looking good and we’ll have a look at a few more during pre-season, when we start training at the end of June and play our first friendly at Irlam on July 10.”

Baker appears to have recruited well, as well as swiftly, bringing in goalkeeper James Coates from Droylsden, two central midfielders – Paul Williams from Witton Albion and Matty Crothers from Curzon Ashton – and striker Matty Bryan, who arrives from Bacup Borough.

Baker has also added to his coaching team, appointing former Abbey Hey manager Luke Gibson as first-team coach.

And, as he prepares for his fourth season in charge at Shawe View, Baker is out to continue the trend he has established in his first three years, and move up from what is now known as the Evo-Stik West Division.

“The aim is promotion this year,” he added. “It was the play-offs last year, and we achieved that, and a cup final. Even though it could have ended better it was still a successful season, especially with the injuries we had, it was far from plain sailing.

“But the expectation levels go up and getting promotion and going that one step further is far from a given, I think this will be the most open the league has been in a few years.

“The league has been re-jigged but you would expect the teams up there last time to be there again, like Colwyn Bay, Colne and Prescot Cables, as well as some teams that have come in from last season’s southern section, like Leek.

“There are a few unknown quantities but we have managed to improve each year over the last three years and we’ll look to do that again.”