Saturday's interviews:
Midfielder Tevan Allen reflects on Saturday's title winning victory over Royston.
DK: Absolute bonkers day. How do you put that into words?
TA: Speechless. I think that's the only word that we all have really. As a group, before I even signed here, when I spoke to Kev and Tom, the general consensus was, it was kind of playoffs to be honest, because there was a bad start or a bad end to the season last year. Coming into this team, I definitely saw the team and I thought, it's definitely a team that can push for playoffs. But even after the first game, the way we grew as a team, as staff, as just a collective, as a family, I feel like it's really gelled together this year. Simply based on the fact of the players, we feel like we just coach ourselves, which is amazing at this level, at any level. And I think everybody in the league can say it's thoroughly deserved on all parts. So crazy day. Honestly, I don't even know. I've never been in a winning position ever. I've won one Premier Cup and that was it. I didn't even play in the final. So it's crazy for me, crazy for the boys. We'll definitely enjoy it tonight. But yeah, it's been a crazy experience the whole year.
DK: How do you describe the game?
TA: The game today was horrific, if I must be honest. Only reason I say that is because we didn't play our best. We haven't really played our best, but we've just found a way to win a lot of times this year. And I think that is a sign of a team that are going to be champions, no matter what. We're talking about in Premier League, in every league in football. If you're just industrious and you know how to win, then you get through games. And you saw, we didn't panic because we knew what the Stourbridge score was the whole time. Yeah, the whole time. Yeah, the whole time. We knew what the Stourbridge score was. So we knew what we had to do. None of us panicked. And we've got super J-Mac. So we never panic when McGrath's on the pitch. So yeah, that's all I've got to say about today's game. Because I don't think it was a great watch, but got the job done in the end.
DK: How did it feel to celebrate it on the pitch with the supporters and in there?
TA: Unbelievable. Honestly, I can't actually believe it's happening. I know it sounds stupid because people will look and say it's only step three, but it means a lot. For this club, for the whole of Suffolk, I think I'll make a big statement when I say there is not a better Suffolk team ever. Because nobody has won this league. Not one, if I'm corrected or stand corrected. I think nobody's won this league in Suffolk. So it's an amazing achievement. And I think everyone deserves the plaudits that we're going to get.
DK: After you've celebrated wildly tonight and deservedly so, how do you bring yourself back for Tuesday?
TA: Got another job to do. It's literally what we do. We've still got games to win. We've got a record at home. It's unbeaten. So we're going to protect that no matter what. I think that's the major one. Still got another cup to win. So it's just coming back down to earth after we finish, celebrating, coming back down to earth, getting back to the job and just winning games again. Because I don't think we want to lose at the end of the season. What's the point? We're not going to sack it off. None of the players would do that. None of the management would do that. So we've still got jobs to do, but we're glad that we got it done with three games to spare.
DK: And how are you going to celebrate tonight? Do you know?
TA: I don't think we want to talk about that on here.
But we're going to celebrate wildly, just put it that way. We celebrate how we should, I think how we deserve for the whole year of grafting, because I think it's been an absolute slog of a year. And it's going to be a lot of travelling next year. So we need to get our minds right for that. So, yeah, we're just going to celebrate how we should, I think, how we deserve to celebrate and just enjoy the time. Enjoy it while we can. I don't think a lot of people have said this to me in my career in non-league. You don't get good moments like this very, very often. So you just have to take them as it comes and enjoy it while they're here. Because football goes in a flash, whether you're a non-league, professional, it'll go in a flash. So enjoy the good moments.
DK: Have you ever felt the same jubilation that you do now?
TA: Never. Me, personally, in my career, I've been through three relegations. And that's it. Like I said, I've won the Prem Cup. But even as under-18s with the Suffolk team, we got to the national final, lost in that 120th minute. Yeah, I've been in some downpours, but it's good. It creates character and it builds what we needed to get over the line, I think. Because you need people like that, that know how to struggle, know how to suffer for you to win. And I personally think in life and everything, you can't really reap the rewards of winning unless you've suffered. So I think it's a perfect, perfect day, to be honest.
DK: It's finally your day, Tev.
TA: Finally my day, mate. Finally my day. I'm going to celebrate it. Celebrate it with not only just the players and that, eventually with my family, with everyone. Because my friends, just everyone, because I think it needed to be. Because I think a lot of people had, not a stigma, but there's a lot of, you know what non-league's like, there's a lot of people that talk on me personally, on the team. Don't think they will do certain things. And now I've proved everyone wrong. And I think that's the biggest thing, just proved everyone wrong. I've proved everyone wrong. Coming to this league, I've never played in this league. I've played in Step 3, but I've never played in this league. And yeah, I just think it's unbelievable, personally and unbelievable for the team.
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