WINCHESTER City – home to Fawley AFC on Saturday – have strengthened their Sydenhams Premier Division promotion push with the signing of Ross Bottomley.

The central defender, who includes Eastleigh and AFC Totton among his former clubs, has joined Neil Hards’s men from title rivals Blackfield & Langley.

Another of Bottomley’s old clubs, Folland Sports, had lodged notice of approach for Bottomley but manager Danny Bowers said: “Winchester are a big club with financial clout and Ross knows (assistant manager) Paul Masters well from his time at Totton and (director of football) Dave Malone from Eastleigh.”