DORCHESTER Town manager Craig Laird believes the club’s supporters will have gained a stronger insight into the club’s aims after the latest fans’ forum at the Avenue Stadium.

Laird, along with chairman Matt Lucas and assistant-manager Trevor Senior, took questions on football-related matters, before the club’s directors tackled financial and behind-the-scenes queries.

Preparing to enter his first full season with the Magpies, Laird hopes the fans now have reason to “trust” him after he outlined his plans for the coming campaign.

He said: “I hopefully got over the philosophy of play that we want to have here, the direction of the club and where it’s going. Hopefully they can trust that the club is in safe hands.”

Main talking points from the evening centred on the club’s playing budget and the installation of a professional-standard 3G pitch scheduled for Spring next year, capable of hosting matches up to and including National League level.

Lucas also clarified the financial flow of the club, stating that “any money coming into the club goes on the day-to-day running of it, or the playing budget.”

On the pitch, Laird confirmed to Echosport that Magpies’ stalwart Nathan Walker will miss the first month of the season as he awaits the birth of his child.

Laird has also targeted a possession-based passing game and aims to ingrain his footballing “imprint” on the squad

He said: “It’s about passing but we have to have that success as well, it can’t just be a passing game and losing every game this season.

“There will be passing in the right areas and at the right time. Hopefully the players we’ve got and the ones we bring in will learn that quickly, but time will tell.”

Magpies’ fan Ben Ward felt the evening was “fairly positive” but added the pressure was now on the club to back up its promises.

“It was fairly positive but it’s all about what happens on the pitch – we’ve got to walk the walk,” he said.

n Dorchester Town will host a fundraising night on Saturday, June 10, 3pm. Attractions include a range of stalls, live screening of the Scotland v England World Cup qualifier (5pm) and a race night.