Stephen Cleeve believes promotion would guarantee outside interest in one of his prized King's Lynn Town assets – manager Ian Culverhouse.
Truth is, if the Lynn boss keeps performing the minor miracles that have taken his team to the top of the table, it might just be earlier than that.
Culverhouse has been linked with other clubs this season, and while he says it was simply speculation, his CV is highly attractive. Cleeve knows that only too well.
"I can never be fully confident, but there was not a link with Lincoln City, that was just paper talk," said the Linnets owner in an interview with Tribal Football.
"He tells me he hasn't put himself out for any job. My view is that if we get promoted this season, clubs will notice him and if a full-time club come in for him I think he probably would go. It would obviously depend on the job, but I wouldn't want to stand in his way if it was the right job. But also if he doesn't want to go, I would be delighted. If we part, I want it to be on good terms. If he does go, it would be great if he brought back a big club for pre-season friendly."
Culverhouse's skills will have been stretched ahead of Saturday's trip to Gloucester City - although the match is subject to an 8.30am pitch inspection - as he surveyed the wreckage of last weekend's FA Trophy win over Dover Athletic, which saw players dropping like flies. Skipper Michael Clunan suffered a broken fibia and is out for six to 10 weeks, Ryan Jarvis suffered a back spasm which took Lynn down to 10 men for the final minutes of extra-time - and Chris Henderson missed out completely with a groin problem. On top of that, keeper Alex Street played despite a virus and a dislocated finger. That's on top of the absence of long-term injury victims, centre halves Ryan Fryatt and Chris Smith.
Resources have been thin for a while, but it's fair to say Culverhouse - a man who never takes credit for Lynn's success, pointing instead to his players - is at 'bare bones' level: get a tune out of those who remain standing and Culverhouse's stock will rise even further.
The manager will want a result and a clean bill of health come 5pm this afternoon - then there's the not insignificant matter of local rivals Boston United at The Walks on Boxing Day, a trip to Alfreton two days later, then the return against Boston on New Year's Day.
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