MAGPIES’ midfielder Charlie Davis believes Dorchester’s 15th-place league spot last season was a “false position” and backed the county town side to “flip” their fortunes next term.

Davis is one of 16 players to have committed to playing at the Clayson Stadium in the 2019/20 Evo-Stik Southern Premier South campaign.

The ex-Poole man also captained Gosport prior to helping steer Boro to safety, eventually finishing 19th – one place and one point above relegation peril.

While the former Weymouth man insisted it was “difficult” to make predictions before the season, Davis has revelled in Dorchester’s swift and impressive summer recruitment.

He told Echosport: “It’s always a difficult one before the start of the season, especially where Dorchester were last year and the year before.

“As a player I’ve been at the top end of the league and now at the bottom as well. I know Strugs (Dan Strugnell) really well, Shane (Murphy) and Sam Lanahan as players.

“With the additions that’ve been made there’s no reason why we can’t have a very successful season and flip round, I believe, the position Dorchester were in last year.

“I do feel it is a false position for how big the club is. Having said that, the league next year is probably going to be one of the strongest there’s been.

“It is difficult to gauge. I wouldn’t have signed for Dorchester if I didn’t feel they could do something next season – I’d never want to be in a relegation battle again and I definitely don’t want to just dwindle around mid-table.

“I don’t think the club’s got any ambition to do either of those. I’ll always be confident in what we try and achieve but without blowing our own trumpets because we’ve done nothing yet.

“It’s definitely something we need to build towards, but everyone at the club knows where we want to be and where we could get to if we do things right.”