Cole Skuse has insisted that there is ‘loads more to achieve’ following confirmation that he will remain Bury Town’s manager next season.
The club revealed last week that the former Ipswich Town and Bristol City midfielder – along with his assistant Paul Musgrove – had committed to oversee a fourth campaign in charge at the Getaway Cars Stadium.
Skuse’s first term as Blues boss ended in play-off heartbreak, but they dusted themselves down to earn promotion via the same route 12 months later.
Cole Skuse (left) and Paul Musgrove (right) have committed themselves to Bury Town next season Picture: Mecha Morton
That ceased the club’s 10-year absence from Step 3 football – and they have adjusted well to life back at the level, with Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Southern League Premier Central Division leaders Harborough Town seeing them reach the 50-point mark.
It is an impressive body of work from Skuse, Musgrove and the playing group, but there is a feeling that the ceiling has not yet been reached.
Skuse said: “There’s loads more to achieve. The last three years have been so enjoyable, but there’s plenty more we can do. For want of a better phrase, the club had maybe stabilised and even stagnated a bit at Step 4.
Cole Skuse has been in charge of Bury Town for three seasons. Picture: Mecha Morton
“We finished second in my first season and lost in the play-offs, but in a strange way, that brightened things up, and it created a buzz.
“It was worth its weight in gold, and then obviously to get promoted in the second season was incredible.
“I don’t think I’m speaking out of place when saying internally, the target for many people this season would have just been to stay in the division, but I had a different mindset.
“I always felt we could be competitive after we got through the first period of adjustment. It’s all the stuff people on the outside don’t see – more time travelling, you’re eating different food on the bus to the games, different preparations and obviously the level of opposition is higher. But we’ve done that, and the boys have been incredible.
Bury Town were promoted via the Isthmian League North Division play-offs last term. Picture: Mecha Morton
“Look at Saturday, we’ve gone to the team that are top of the league and we should have won. That shows how far we’ve come as a group and a club.
“If we can keep this cohort of players together, make the right additions, then I see no reason why we can’t be even more competitive next season.”
And with the management team’s future rubber-stamped, planning can proceed for the summer and beyond.
With their fate not sealed until early May due to the play-offs, Bury were behind some of their competitors last season when it came to recruitment.
However, this time around, Skuse is hopeful that the club will have more of a headstart.
“The play-offs were great, and it’s a day nobody will forget, but because it was late and we didn’t know what league we were going to be in, it left us behind the curve a little bit,” added Skuse.
“This time, there is more clarity. We’re not going up, and we’re not going down, so it’s better for everyone, and we can have some internal conversations starting now.
“It’s no secret how much we think of this group, and we won’t be looking to make lots of changes, but there are going to be certain areas where we’ll look to strengthen.”
After being pegged back in stoppage time at Harborough, Bury will aim to bounce back this afternoon when they host Worcester City before heading to Leiston for an all-Suffolk affair on Monday (both 3pm).