BLUEBIRDS manager Steve White has wheeled and dealed to keep the bulk of his squad together, thanks to the willingness of many of them to take massive pay cuts.

The club lost more the £65,000 last season and White has had his playing budget almost cut in half.

He said: "The guys have worked very hard to retain the bulk of what we achieved last season. Most of the lads have taken a cut in wages and I have kept the players here that I have wanted to. They have proved last year that they were good enough to compete at Dr Martens level."

White is optimistic about finishing in the top half of the Southern League Premier Divison. He said: "I hope that we can get off to a good start and get into the top third and then go from there."

He does not see Chippenham as one of the favourites to win promotion. He said: "Teams like Bath City and Tiverton Town have double the budgets that we have, you have to see them as favourites."

As White remains modest, some of the other players are getting excited about the new season.

St Lucian international Rene Regis feels that this is Chippenham's year. He said: "We can do well. We are truly looking for promotion, we just have to work hard. It's not going to be easy but we all have the same objective."

Pre-season preparations are going well and the lads seem to be in good shape. Chippenham were beaten at home by Conference side Exeter City 4-1, although that score-line seemed to flatter the visitors as Chippenham played some good football. The Bluebirds did achieve a great 1-1 against Cardiff City though.

He said: "We have no injuries and everything is building up nicely for the next friendly. We have done extremely well in games. We have won our last three and done really well against Cardiff. Although we got beat by Exeter, I think the players took a lot out of the game."

So far White has brought in two signings this summer. Wayne Thorne's brother Gary, a centre back from Merthyr Tydfil, and left back Matthew McEntagert from Cirencester have signed up.

White said: "I am keen to bring in youth. I don't bring in thirty something's, that's not for me."

To balance the books the club has lost defender Tom Gould and Charlie Griffin to Forest Green Rovers.

The departure of Griffin leaves White with just three strikers, Sam Allison, James Constable (whose wages are being paid by the Gazette this season) and Martin Paul.

White will look for a fourth but says he won't be rushed into a signing after being snubbed by Team Bath's Caleb Camara Taylor.

White said of Gould: "I didn't want to stand in his way of higher league football."

When asked to name a star player to watch out for this year White said: "Good teams don't have star players. I would like to think that I have 16, 17 or 18 star players that are of similar ability.

"I'd like to be in a position where it does not matter who plays, and the five on the bench are as good as the 11 on the field."