he was quickly given the job on an ongoing basis. Despite the signing of a number of former top-level players, such as Carl Leaburn and Jason Dozzell, the team escaped relegation by only one point. The following season, however, boosted by a switch to full-time professional status and helped by the goals of Freddy Eastwood, Grays finished in 6th place, sufficient to gain a place in the newly formed Conference South for the 2004–05 season. Grays won the Conference South at the first attempt by a margin of 23 points, thus achieving promotion to the Conference National, the top level of non-league football, for the first time in their history. In the same season, Stimson also led Grays to the FA Trophy Final, where the team beat Hucknall Town in a penalty shoot-out. Grays reached the FA Trophy Final again in the following season, and claimed a second successive win after a 2–0 victory over Woking at Upton Park. In the Conference, Grays finished in third place and qualified for the play-offs for promotion to the Football League, but lost to Halifax Town in the semi-finals. Citing his disappointment at failing to gain promotion, Stimson resigned from his post at Grays on 16 May 2006. He stated that at the time he had received no firm job offers from other clubs, and acknowledged that he was taking a gamble with his career, but said that if he was unable to find a new job as a manager he would move into youth coaching or open his own football school. He was linked with the managerial vacancy at League Two Peterborough United, but eventually took over as manager of Stevenage Borough on 28 May, and led the club to an eighth-place finish in the Conference National in his first season in charge. Stevenage also defeated Stimson's former club Grays to reach the FA Trophy final, and beat Kidderminster Harriers 3–2 at the new Wembley Stadium in the final, giving Stimson a third consecutive Trophy win as a manager. In the early part of the 2007–08 season, speculation began to mount that Stimson would be approached to take over as manager of a Football League club, with Gillingham, Port Vale and Millwall all alleged to be interested in his services. He was offered a new contract by Stevenage on 16 October 2007, but resigned the following day. On 1 November, he was