Billy Smith knows all about the expectation levels at Crawley which accompany the start of a new season.

The longest-serving members of the Dr Martens Premier are desperate for Conference football and, although they should get their wish next season when a second tier is introduced, it would mean so much more to go up as champions.

Boss Francis Vines has brought in several new faces, but his predecessor thinks the title could again elude Crawley.

"The new season will be a lot different for Francis," said Smith. "When he took over he basically inherited my side but this is his team now and after bringing in four or five new faces there will be a lot of expectation which Francis will have to handle.

"I'd love them to do well, but deep down I'm not sure if they will be strong enough. Someone like Ernie Cooksey will take a lot of replacing, for instance, but Charlie MacDonald is a good signing and so is Paul Armstrong, a player who always impressed me in his Brighton days.

"Getting out of the Dr Martens is hard, but the sides that do go up generally equip themselves better in the Conference than Ryman League clubs."

Newly-promoted Eastbourne Borough should hold their own, according to Smith, especially if Scott Ramsay, a player Brentford boss Wally Downes spoke to Smith about before inviting him to train with the Second Division outfit, continues to find the net on a regular basis.

"They won't win it or anything but if they consolidate they will consider it a good season," said Smith. "The manager Garry Wilson is a nice bloke who knows the league well and they will be hard to beat, especially at home."

Steve Lovell has succeeded George Wakeling at the Pilot Field but several members of last season's squad have left and Smith believes Hastings may have to settle for a season of consolidation.

He will be as interested as anyone to see how Burgess Hill adapt to life in the Dr Martens League after dominating the County League for the last few years.

"They seem the sort of club who will back up their ambition with finance to get players in," said Smith.

"They have probably played below their level for the last five years so I don't think the step-up will affect them too much and I can see them finishing in the top half at least and perhaps doing even better."