WITHAM Town manager Adam Flint said it was deserved that John Watson walked off with the three big awards at the club's presentation night.

It was a clean sweep for the 33-year-old as Watson claimed the Manager's, Players' and Supporters' Player-of-the-Year awards at the ceremony at the Village Glass Stadium.

Flint said he felt his own award was merited by the long-serving player after a great season with the team in Ryman League division north.

He said: "With John winning everything, it would have been easy for me to have given it to someone else, but I really felt he deserved it this year.

"I've been good friends with John since we were about eight or nine and he's played in a lot of my teams, but this is the first time that I've ever given him my manager's player award.

"He picked up a shoulder injury in pre-season last year at Coggeshall and was out for five or six weeks and I remember him saying to me 'I'm not going to get into this side'.

"However, he did come in and played in centre midfield having never really played there too much before.

"He was outstanding and kept his place throughout and I felt he really deserved the award.

"He also got the Players' Player award, which is a special one.

"There were others in the frame for that and I know Spider (Ryan Charles), Damien Green and Lance (Akins) were close, but John got it as well and also took the Supporters' award so that shows the season he had.

"I think he was quite surprised, but he was just very consistent, not just on the pitch but also off it with everything that he did."

Meanwhile, Flint is busy with preparations ahead of next season and has some pre-season fixtures arranged for his team.

He said games against Thurlow Nunn League sides Coggeshall Town and Halstead Town had been agreed, as well as one against Essex Senior League side Great Wakering Rovers.

There is also set to be a Witham Town weekend away when they will face Southern Combination League side Shoreham FC and Ryman League division south's Whyteleaf.

Flint said he now has his budget sorted for next season and is in the process of speaking with players - both established members of his Witham squad and new ones - as he formulates plans for the 2017/18 campaign.

There will also be a change to his backroom staff as well, as the Town boss said he would be adding former Ilford and Southend Manor manager Wayne Seal to his coaching staff.

Flint added: "Wayne is joining the management team and will be carrying out analysis and scouting work for us.

"Both Robbo (Witham assistant manager James Robinson) and myself like stats and using them with players so Wayne will assist us and (coach) Curtis (Whyte).

"It's all about us trying to be a bit more professional and when you have stats that you can give to a player about how they are doing, then there's no arguing with that."