Spalding United manager Lewis Thorogood wants to work more closely with the club's junior section

Spalding United manager Lewis Thorogood wants to increase the connection between the senior and youth sections at the club.

The Tulips have a thriving junior section and had a number of teams challenging for honours in the Peterborough Junior Alliance last season.

The Under 14s and Under 12s were both top of their respective divisions last season with the Under 13s also in the hunt for honours.

Thorogood has been a keen spectator at a number of junior games since his arrival at the Sir Halley Stewart ground.

And the recently-appointed Tulips first team boss is keen to continue building bridges with the youth section.

He said: “A lot of work has gone on this year with the youth section.

“I’ve built quite a few bridges and made sure that I’ve gone and watched a few of their games at weekends.

“We’re really trying to bring that connection together because there is a conveyor belt potentially for young players to get into this football club.

“Everybody keeps talking about home-grown talent. It is there because our youth teams in the main are quite successful.

“We need to bridge that gap and try to get them into the Spalding United structure.

“It is certainly part of the long-term plan and vision.”

A closer working partnership with the junior section could also boost matchday attendances in the Northern Premier League South East Division.

Thorogood believes an average of 200 is an achievable target for the Tulips and is looking to spread awareness of the club in the community.

He added: “I’d be overjoyed if we could regularly get crowds of 200. It would be a real step forward.

“We should be getting that sort of figure through the gates for a club like Spalding in the town of its size and with all the villages around it.

“It’s more than achievable. We are only about another 30 or 40 people away from getting an average gate of 200 so we need people to spread the word.

“We want to improve attendances and make the community more aware of the club.

“We need to continue to build relations with the youth section and get them more closely knitted together with ourselves.

“I also want a cup run. I don’t care what competition it is in, but we need a cup run of some description because Spalding United don’t normally do them for whatever reason. That’s my personal aspiration.

“In terms of next season, it’s about cutting our cloth accordingly and not trying to have too many ideas of grandeur.

“We don’t want to be a jack of all trades and a master of none. We just need to work on a few simple things and make sure we get them right.

“If we can get the club sustainable off the field then that would be a massive tick in the box.

“I also want to improve the connection between the local community, the supporters and the football club.”