Manager Garry Wilson insists he still has unfinished business at Eastbourne Borough as he approaches a decade in charge at Priory Lane.

The ambition which convinced Borough chairman Len Smith to give him the job ten years ago is still burning bright within the 45-year-old.

Wilson has led Borough to four promotions since he took over in February 1999 and together with assistant Nick Greenwood – who has been at Priory Lane for nearly 12 years – has guided the club from the Sussex County League to the brink of the Football League.

Now the Borough boss has set his sights on a place in League Two before he decides it is time to bring his remarkable reign to an end.

Wilson said: “When I first came to the club I made a statement about reaching the Conference in ten years but it was always a bit of a pipe dream so to achieve it is great.

“I just had a feeling the club could go places. I got a sense there was a lot of potential and all it needed was an injection of professionalism and experience to realise it.

“I always said I wanted the club to become a name in the non-league game. I thought we weren’t really taken seriously for a long time but that is not the case anymore.

“Now we are in the Conference our first aim is to consolidate but the long-term strategy has got to be to win promotion. It will probably take a number of years before we are in a position to challenge but my view is there is no point being in any division if your goal is not to achieve success.”

While a place in League Two may seem like pie in the sky it would be a brave man to bet against it considering Wilson’s record.

Many would have laughed at his vision to lead Borough to non-league’s top flight when he took over the reins with Langney Sports struggling to challenge for honours in the County League.

He was still smarting from being controversially sacked by Hastings Town owner Mark Gardiner when Borough asked him to fill the manager’s role left vacant by Steve Richardson.

Wilson was introduced to the team for the first time following a 1-1 draw at Eastbourne United on February 9, 1999 and was in the dugout alongside Greenwood for the 1-0 home defeat to Redhill four days later.

There was little sign of the success to come as it took six more games before he sealed his first win, a 1-0 victory over East Preston, but the club has not looked back since.

They won the Country League title the next season and three more promotions have followed despite Wilson having to stick to a sensible budget.

So what has been the secret of Borough’s success under Wilson?

“There is no doubt the partnership between Nick (Greenwood) and myself has played a big part,” he explained. “I didn’t know Nick when I first arrived and had to form a relationship with him but we work well as a pair and trust each other. Sometimes the way we work is more like joint managers although if there is a decision to make it is down to me in the end.

“There is also a great backroom staff at the club. Ray Tuppen (physio) was the first person I brought in from Hastings and Dean Lightwood (goalkeeping coach) arrived soon after and has been there ever since.

“The success has been down to everybody involved in the club, not just me. People like Len Smith, Mike Spooner (chief executive) and the rest of the committee have also been there the whole time and have provided great support.

“That kind of stability is a big factor as it means you can keep building rather than having to start again all the time.”

Wilson’s impressive record means his position has never been seriously under threat and surprisingly his achievements have gone largely unnoticed by bigger clubs.

He admits he did think about walking away just once following a particularly bad run in the Dr Martens eastern division days but was soon convinced to carry on.

It seems ironic then that realising his ambition of taking Borough into the Football League may actually be the deciding factor in his reign finally coming to an end.

He said: “I would definitely like to be a full-time manager. I would relish and enjoy the opportunity but after ten years I am not sure whether that would be the right thing for me.

“I really enjoy my job and have been successful at it so I think I would find it very hard to give that up. If we made it to the Football League it would leave me with a very difficult choice to make.

“Combining work and being manager is tiring, no doubt about it. This year in particular has been hard so I can’t see myself continuing for another ten years.

“As soon as I stop enjoying it or it gets too much for me then it will be time to hand it over to somebody else but I wouldn’t like to lose touch with the club because it is like a second home to me now.”

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