Southwick manager Sammy Donnelly believes being crowned champions has given everyone at the club a ‘boost’.

The Wickers secured the Mid Sussex League Championship title on Saturday with 5-1 win at Mile Oak and with it, promotion to the Premier division.

It’s a first - big - step on the way back to the National League System (NLS), which they had to quit when they were forced to leave their Old Barn Way home because of problems with the former leaseholder of the site.

But Donnelly is glad to see things going in the right direction both on and off the pitch He said: “It has given everybody a lift really and to be honest it has been a collective affair. “We are trying to get things sorted off the pitch and we are going to right way there.

“On the pitch we have done the business and it is a collective effort, there are a lot of people to thank and the best thing I can say is that both on and off the pitch we have been working on getting our club back to normal and getting our team back into the national league which is my aim.”

Donnelly wanted to give his assistant Tony Gratwicke a pat on the back and also Alan Dartnell and Tony Dineen, who was with them at the start of the season.

Southwick will be hoping to maintain their 100% record this season when they face Crawley Devils on Monday.