VIDEO Milles Rutherford: How did we get promoted to step three? I haven’t a clue

City will be in the Isthmian premier division – or possibly even the Southern League premier – next season after beating Three Bridges 5-0 to win the Isthmian south east play-offs – something few, even among those at Oaklands Park, could have predicted at the start of the campaign.

Riutherford said City had probably one of lowest budgets in the league they’d just finished the season in – let alone in the next division up. But they’d give it a go whatever their finances.

He showered high praise on his ‘unreal’ players for the late-season run, including a run of 11 wins and two draws in 13 games, that carried City to the play-offs. And said the declining health of assistant manager Graeme Gee, who died just three weeks before promotion had been sealed, had spuured them on.

Asked how they’d clinched promotion Rutherford admitted: “I haven’t got a clue! But there’s a lot of hard work now and the players know it. I’ve said to the players ‘We’re Chichester City and we’ve most probably got one of the lowest budgets in this league let alone the one above. But if we don’t find the money we’ll just go into it and we’ll battle every week.”

Rutherford said he thought any hope of a play-off place was over three months ago – before an ‘incredible’ run.

He added: “Twelve or 13 weeks ago Graeme Gee said to me he was nearly dying and was ready to go. And that spurred us a little bit on. But it shows thegreat character of the players – they’ve been unbelievable.

"Some have come step five and Graeme Gee was the biggest influence in them coming. They love playing for the club. We’ll see if we keep them all – which I hope we will – and we’ll see where we go.

"We’re probably going to be in the same league as Havant and Waterlooville – the biggest team around the area – and Bognor. It’s unbelievable.

"Ramsgate deserved to go up – they were if not the best team, the second best team in the league. I feel sorry for them because they battered us two weeks before we played them in the play-offs.

"In the final at Three Bridges everything we hit went in and I’m so proud of all of them, and of Danny (Potter), Dabba (Killpartrick). We’ve got so many who all do it for nothing. Dabba has brought belief to all the players. We’ll just see where we end up.”

Rutherford said Jimmy Wild – whose goals inspired the late run of wins to the play-offs – had been ‘exceptional’ and was unlucky to get injured in setting up the opening goal in the final on Friday night.

The manager said the back four – Ryan Davidson, Rob Hutchings, Connor Cody and Curtis Da Costa – had been ‘unreal’.

Rutherford had to dash home from a holiday in Alicante to be at the play-off final – and went straight back afterwards.

Speaking just after full-time as the celebrations continued around him, he said: “I went to Alicante yesterday morning – I booked it 14 weeks ago – I’ve come back today and I’m going back to Alicante in a minute.

"Everybody gets a little break now, then we’ll think about it all and chat to the players.”