AFC Telford United manager and captain reveal ambitions ahead of 2025/26 season opener

The Bucks travel to King's Lynn Town for their first game back in the National league North after winning promotion through the Southern Central Premier play-offs last term.

Many expect Telford to face a tough battle to remain in step two, with Wilkin insisting a solid start to the season is crucial in his bid to continue the good times at the SEAH Stadium.

"My main aim would just be to make our crowd happy," the Bucks boss said. "I've been in the game long enough to know you need to be realistic about the situation you're in and understand what you're going into.

"We don't want to heap too much pressure on ourselves at this stage, and like we showed last season it's important that we stay together in any difficult periods.

"Hopefully we've learned from that and know what we have to do as a club. We'll need to be more robust than we were last season to deal with those challenges, and if we are we know that with the attacking players at our disposal we'll give ourselves a real chance.

"A lot of players are hopefully on an upward curve within their careers. There's a lot more improvement to come from most of the players in our group and naturally we want them to show that in the coming season."

Midfielder Rowe, who joined from Bromsgrove Sporting in February and is yet to suffer defeat in a competitive outing since returning to the club, is hoping to enjoy a better season in the National League North having been part of the side that were convincingly relegated in 2023.

And while the Bucks captain admitted discussions around their targets for the season have not been discussed, his own personal ambition is to follow in the footsteps of other non-league teams who have risen through the divisions.

"We haven't actually sat down and had that conversation yet, probably because there have been a lot of trialists involved in pre season, but my own personal ambition is that I want to win something," Rowe asserted. "It doesn't matter what league it is, it doesn't matter that we've jumped up a league, my ambition is to get into the play-offs, if not around the play-offs. 

"I don't want a season where I'm looking over my shoulder like I did with Bromsgrove last year and with Telford at this level before. 

"For me it's about starting the season strong and taking it game by game, and hopefully we'll be in a good position by Christmas which will let us kick on and put a string of wins together like you saw last season.

"I know a lot of people are saying they'd just be happy to stay up, but I think settling for that means you're always looking over your shoulder and losses turn into even bigger issues.

"I've spoken to [Alex] Fletch[er] multiple times about how Tamworth did it and he said they just had a good group of lads, and I don't see any difference from what we are.

"There's no reason why we can't go on and do the same, especially with the group of lads we've got, and I wouldn't be at a football club if I didn't think they'd do well.

"I've tasted that success last year and I want to experience it again."