DAVID Mogg has accepted the challenge of trying to get Yate Town promoted back to the BGB Southern League Premier Division.

The former Bath City and Forest Green goalkeeper was unable to save the club after the departure of long-serving Richard Thompson in February, but has agreed to carry on at Lodge Road.

“When I took over, I knew it was a rebuilding job and not a quick fix,” said Mogg.

“I met three of the committee and they wanted to know if I wanted to carry on, and I was 99.9 per cent certain I wanted to.

“So they went away and had a full committee meeting and last Friday they asked me to continue.”

Mogg has now started on the summer task of rebuilding his squad and has talked to all of last year’s squad, bar two.

One definite departure is striker Aaron Blakemore, who has not been offered new terms by the club, and could be followed out by contracted pair Scott Brice and Dean Griffiths.

“Both of them have said they do not want to drop down a level,” said Mogg. “But both are still Yate players as they have contracts, although I understand Dean has spoken to a couple of clubs.

“I will work towards bringing people in and have spoekn to some players who are keen to come.

“They are from leagues below, but have played Southern league football before and they are all honest lads with good attitudes.”

Meanwhile, chairman Peter Jackson has said the budget cut at the start of the season was necessary for the club to survive in the current economic crisis.

“We cut money at the start of the season but nearly every club has so I offer that as no excuse.

“It’s been a bad season all round and I’m glad it’s over and done with.

“We still lost money with the cuts, you only have to look at other businesses and other clubs to see what is happening.

“You have to cut the budget to what you can afford.”

Following relegation, Mogg launched an attack on the players, and Jackson agrees they have to take their share of the responsibility.

“The performances of the players haven’t been up to standard.

“The players’ attitudes have been shocking from start to finish – that is why we have gone down.”

Jackson’s decision to sack the popular Thompson has been criticised by many Yate supporters.

It was a bold bid to try and stave off the drop from the Southern League Premier Division and even though Yate still went down, Jackson says he has no regrets.

“We were in the bottom three when he left, we had 11 points out of the last 60 which wasn’t good enough.

“The club made the decision because we did not want to go down.

“People are entitled to make changes if things go wrong.”