The Mariners ended an eight-year wait by returning to Division One of the Northern League with a 1-0 victory over Sunderland RCA on Tuesday night.

They finish their league campaign tonight with a trip to Darlington RA, a game brought forward 24 hours because the pitch is unavailable tomorrow because of the start of the cricket season.

A victory would see Shields move a step closer to the Division Two title.

Crutwell, however, is not too worried about the championship, and is instead concerning himself with getting the financial backing in place to provide Steadman with the funds necessary to compete in the top flight next season.

He said: "Gary's done a great job for a lad who had no real experience.

"He's got a good rapport with the players, it seems to be a happy camp, and they are all playing and working hard for each other."

Shields have achieved promotion without paying out some of the huge sums that other teams in the division have, with RCA in particular reputed to have a budget twice the size of the Mariners'.

Crutwell added: "Some of the money bandied about for players at this level is ridiculous.

"Gary hasn't had a great deal to spend, mainly because we haven't been able to give him a great deal, but what he had to spend he's done well with.

"Players like Willie Crew have been brought in and done a great job, while other players have been brought in for free.

"There's a lot of local lads, like Fitzy (Simon Fitzpatrick) who he has developed, and our captain Lee Paul Scroggins, who had offers to go elsewhere, like Whitley Bay, but has decided to stay with his hometown team.

"These lads have seen that the club has the potential to be the size of the likes of Whitley Bay.

"We have progressed off the field, and we have a lot of new sponsors who are all well behind the club.

"Our season now – for me and the committee – has just begun. Gary's done his job and we have now got to do ours.

"We have got get the budget right, so Gary and (assistant) Justin (Perry) can go out and get the players that we need to compete in Division One.

"There's a world of difference from competing in Division Two and competing in Division One, so we hope to have the finances in place so Gary can start attracting players who haven't signed the retainer list."