BASINGSTOKE Town manager Dan Brownlie described receiving a special recognition award from the Basingstoke Rotary Club as “a really proud moment”.

Brownlie was presented with the President’s Special Recognition Award by the Rotary Club after guiding Basingstoke to promotion to the Southern League Premier South last term.

The club were crowned Isthmian South Central champions on the final day of a season in which they also lifted two further trophies to claim an impressive treble.

The award was presented to Brownlie on Saturday, September 23, prior to Basingstoke’s home clash with Waltham and Hersham – the side they pipped to the league title last term – which ended in a 3-3 draw.

Journalist and broadcaster Tunde Adelakun, who was appointed Rotary Club president in July 2023, made the presentation alongside Rotary members Jim London and Nick Stevens in front of a 1,100-strong crowd at the Winklebury Sports Complex.

And Brownlie, whose late father Ian was a Rotarian, expressed delight at receiving the award but insisted the club’s recent success was a collective effort.

“It’s great to get the award and be recognised. It is a really proud moment for me,” said Brownlie.

“My dad was a very proud Rotarian who lost his life a couple of years ago so I’m very aware of what they do and how they mark certain occasions, events, and people. So for that, it has made the award all the more special.

“If you speak to my mum I think she’s more proud of that than us winning the treble last season.

“But while it’s my name on the award, I very much believe that everyone, the players and staff, has contributed to it.”

The Basingstoke boss was also keen to highlight the importance of establishing strong links between the club and the wider community.

“Community is our everything,” said Brownlie. “It is what has driven the last two or three years and I can say quite confidently it has been vital to our success.

“The players have created a special culture in the changing room and that is echoed around the rest of the ground. I regularly see on X (formerly Twitter) people being supportive of one another. When people are having a tough time, it’s our fans who rally around each other.

“So the community of Basingstoke is the perfect way to describe it. It’s the only reason for our existence and our success. So we’re really proud of our growing connections with the community.”

On the pitch, Basingstoke have made a strong start to life at step three of the non-league pyramid.

They currently sit one place outside the promotion play-off spots after 11 games, despite falling to defeat in their last two league outings against Hendon and rivals Winchester.

Brownlie’s side were in action on Tuesday evening, when they hosted high-flying Merthyr Town.

And the Basingstoke manager has called for calm following recent results.

He added:  “When we have losses now, they feel heightened because we don’t tend to lose. You look at the last 12 to 15 months and it’s pretty much been win after win.

“So then when you lose two on the bounce it can feel like your world is crumbling around you.

“I think we’ve exceeded most people’s expectations from outside the changing room. But inside it, we’re probably where we think we should be. So I think we need a little call for calm.”