Tompkins targets Hayes & Yeading revival after summer squad rebuild

Hayes & Yeading United boss Jamie Tompkins believes his sweeping summer squad rebuild marks the first real step towards restoring the club’s fortunes, according to the Non-League Football Paper.

Tompkins, who took charge of the west London side in December after leaving Ascot United, guided Hayes & Yeading to a ninth-place finish in the Isthmian League South Central last season. It represents a solid foundation, but one still some distance from the club’s former standing in the non-league pyramid.

A club with a proud history

Hayes & Yeading United were formed in 2007 through the merger of Hayes FC and Yeading FC, and for a number of years the combined club were fixtures in the top two tiers of the non-league game. Both predecessor clubs had also enjoyed spells operating at the higher levels of semi-professional football before the merger took place.

That history makes the club’s more recent struggles all the more keenly felt among supporters, and it is against that backdrop that Tompkins has set about reshaping his squad ahead of the new campaign. Coming from Hayes himself, the manager is understood to be well acquainted with the club’s traditions and the expectations that come with them.

Building for the long term

Tompkins arrived mid-season and had limited time to stamp his mark before guiding the team to a respectable finish in the second half of the campaign. With a full pre-season now at his disposal, he has used the summer window to overhaul his playing squad in what he sees as the opening move in a longer-term project.

The Isthmian League South Central remains a competitive division, and Hayes & Yeading will be hoping their new-look squad can push closer to the top of the table when action resumes. For now, the focus at the club is on getting the foundations right before targeting a return to the higher reaches of non-league football that fans of both Hayes and Yeading once knew well.

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