In the summer of 2017 Scott Ward and Chris Wain again started to rebuild the club from the bottom, with stability a big factor in their decision the pair appointed Lewis Saxby as first team manager after Steve Smith had stepped down from temporary charge after the last game of the season at Southwell City. Saxby brought in Dan Machin and Dan Hatfield as his assistants along with Keiran Booker as Media Manager to help promote the club. Saxby brought in a whole new squad of players to start the 2017/18 season in the CML South but promised to use the club's youth system to blood local talent in men’s football so asked Blidworth Welfare Junior chairman Adam Gullett to join his coaching staff. Saxby used the season to build a competitive squad and finished in a very respectable 7th place in a tough South division.