​Aylesbury United boss hails great start and praises club's fans

The Ducks have won five of their first six league games in the SPL Division One Central – the other game being a draw – and sit top of the table.

And having had to guide the team to safety from relegation last season ahead of rebuilding the squad for the new campaign, it’s been quite the turnaround for Tuttle and his side.

He said: “The league performances have been very good and we’ve come up against some excellent sides. Leverstock Green are a tough side to beat and were unlucky not to get something from the game, and Flackwell Heath will be in the top six at the end too I think.

"Percentage-wise the opposition have been having most of the play but we’ve been working hard and showing good togetherness which has got us through.

"We’re working hard away from games too and have been trying to train on Tuesdays and Thursdays when we can and doing lots of fitness work.”

The large number of signings made in the summer have given Tuttle plenty of food for thought in terms of selection, but that’s something he’s pleased to have.

He said: “You try and keep a balanced squad and keep everyone happy as that’s important.

"I know people want to play, but a lot of the players have known each other a long time so that helps with morale, as do results of course.

"We will go through a spell where we won’t get the results we expect and that the fans and players expect, but we want to be as high as possible and whilst it’s going to be hard, we believe we can finish mid-table or higher.”

One downside to the season has been the Ducks’ cup form, with an FA Cup defeat at Thame United opening the season, then a penalties loss at Wroxham also seeing their FA Trophy hopes end at the first hurdle too.

​Tuttle said: “We wanted to do well in the cups as obviously it’s good financially for the club and gets the fans in too.

"Against Thame we played well for 35 minutes but then with the experience they have they outplayed us and deserved to win. They’ll be a team in the top six this year with good players and a good manager.

"Wroxham are another team that has been together a long time and they got promoted last year. We could have been two or three up at half-time but in the second-half they were miles on top.

"It went to penalties which can go either way but despite Hoppy making a save it was unfortunate we went out and I was sad for the fans too as we had a lot make the trip.”

It was the trip to Wroxham that brought home to Tuttle just how much the fans care about the club and the predicament they’ve found themselves in since the Ducks were forced out of the town in 2006.

Plans remain in place to try and secure a new home in Aylesbury as soon as possible, but in the meantime it’s a case of travelling to Chesham for each home game as well as the usual trips for away matches.

Tuttle said: “What I saw when we went to Wroxham showed me and the players what it means. A lot of these fans have been following the club for so many years, way beyond the time we moved to Chesham, and they need to be back in Aylesbury.

"A lot is talked about when it comes to mental health and the role football can play. These people want their Saturday routines back, without having to travel just to go to a home game – you can’t underestimate what those Saturday and Tuesday routines mean to people. I always recognised that as a player, even in the professional game, and it should be the same at this level.

"They’ve been mates for years, they spend their money coming to watch us and we should never take it for granted. They’ve supported the club for 20 or 30 years and their families did before that.

"So the new players need to see that and what it means. It should make them want to give that bit more and help create new memories for these fans.

"There are a few stumbling blocks with going back to the town but it’s so, so important it happens. We want to be somewhere the whole community can use and be proud of – men, women, children, those with disabilities, everyone.

"As I say, I always played for the fans and try to bring that into management too. It’s not about me, people who put so much in to watching us deserve the effort to be put in to reward that.

"Then, ultimately, I hope the players and I can be here for a long time and see us return to where we want to be.”