MARK Stimson says he has been told there will be “no Thurrock FC next season”.

Stimson, who has been manager at Ship Lane since May 2012, was speaking after the club was put up for sale.

Chairman Tommy South announced at the start of this season he intended to sell the club due to health issues.

Thurrock are currently 15th in the Isthmian Premier League, 12 points above the single relegation place.

And Stimson says survival would be a bigger achievement than their promotion last season.

“I have been told there will be no Thurrock next season,” he said. “You can’t get clearer than that.

“It leaves us with the rest of the season to enjoy. It’s taken us this long to get back here and we are doing well. I have said to the boys that if they play well then you will have teams wanting you.

“For me, it will be a summer of seeing what is around and hopefully something attracts me and if that is the case I would want to take some of the boys with me.

“They are good men. I have about seven who have played more than 100 games for me and we have a bond. In the meantime we need to enjoy this challenge.”

Thurrock travel to bottom placed club Burgess Hill Town on Saturday, with third-from-bottom Tooting & Mitcham United after that.

Stimson targeted 46 points to stay up at the start of term. Six points off that target, he has called on his players to finish the season strongly.

“We want to finish it well,” said Stimson. “All good things have to come to an end but it’s how you end that counts. Staying up is as big an achievement as getting promoted.

“We don’t get many fans but they make a great noise. At Harrow Borough earlier this month I think there were about 25 of them but it sounded like 200.

"We want to end well for them as well."

Estate agent Dedman Gray, who are overseeing the sale, have admitted interested parties are considering “a continuation of a football ground” but added “all balls are still up in the air”.