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HAVERHILL Rovers are putting there in youth as they aim for Nationwide Conference Football within 10 years.
Director of Football, John Stevens, who is also the first team assistant boss, is in talks with Haverhill United, which operates nine teams from under-9s to under-16s in thr town.
The Jewson league Division One club want United to become a feeder club so youngesters from the Haverhill area can remain in the town whil palying football at a high standard and, in the process, allow Rovers to build for the future.
Stevens hopes to complete the talks with Haverhill United later this month.
"They have the biggest youth setup in the town," he said. "We are bringing everything together so that this club is a club and not just a first team and a reserve team."
Rovers already run a ladies and girls team, but want to extend this to provide youth teams from under-9 to under-18 level.
"It does not matter if we are a Premier League Club or a Jewson League side, if we have not got that youth system, then we are never going to reap the benefits of players coming through."
The club is already seeing the fruits of the Haverhill Football School, which it established more than two years ago.
It has supplied the first team with highly-rated youngsters this season, including striker Adrian Hunt and midfielder Neil Hammond - who is on a contract at Hamlet Croft - while Danny Johnstone and Bradley Deeks are on the fringe of breaking into Paul Goodman's side.
"Haverhill United have already got a good structure within their club and that could only be of benefit to us," Stevens said. "They will see the benefit of being with a club which is going places and it gives the youngsters within the town something to aim for."
He added: "If the youngsters start to see there is something to aim for, then they are not going to go out of the town to play for the Cambridge Citys, the Histons or the Sudburys. We can keep them in the town and reap the benefit, especially as they can see the club is paying for players. There is a lot of talent within the town and hopefully we can harness that and get it in the direction of Rovers, and eventually the first team.
"We are looking at teams like Histon as a benchmark."
Stevens said more first team players will be given contracts before the end of the season. "We did not want to give out contract will-nilly. We want to give players something to aim for. We will be looking at it to see if people warrant being put on a contract."
Under ht leadership of new owner John King and management of Goodman, Stevens is convinced Rovers will win promotion next season.
Since the new managing director officially took charge on December 16 the club have played two matches, winning both and keeping two clean sheets with a new signing, ex-Sudbury keeper David Walton, between the sticks.
Ambitious Rovers have lodged seven-day approaches for Mildenhall midfielder Stuart Ogilvile and Stowmarket striker Stuart Jopling as they start to build for next season. They can speak to the duo on Monday.
"John King coming in has been good for the club and he has been given people that big nudge," said Stevens. "The team was performing well, but not getting the right results.
"It’s a culmination of things. That little bit of luck is going our way."
Rovers are just 13 points adrift of second placed Stanway Rovers - so can Goodman's team go up this season?
"If I was being realistic, with the way the top teams are carrying on, it would be hard going," Stevens admitted.
"I would say it would be very, very doubtful, but you never know. The teams above us could go through a bad streak.
"I would say a realistic goal for us this season will be a top-six finish. This will give us a good push for getting new players in for the start of next season. Players will be coming in from now until then."
He added: "There are going to be hiccups along the way, but that will give us emphasis to go forward and get promotion. That is what we want next season. Everything we do now is geared towards that."