NEW Blackfield & Langley boss Glenn Howes has unveiled the rest of his management team.

The 33-year-old has appointed well-travelled former Wimborne attacker Lee Chudy as his right-man at Gang Warily and midfielder James Ford, also 33, as player/first-team coach.

The youthful trio will work hand in hand with vastly experienced duo John Robson and Chris Farrell who are staying on as director of football and co-assistant manager respectively.

With Howes, Chudy and ex-AFC Bournemouth man Ford well acquainted with the Wessex/Southern League scene and Robson and Farrell boasting contacts right along this stretch of the south coast, Blackfield will leave no stone unturned as they build for what is shaping up to be the strongest Sydenhams Premier Division in many years.

With Salisbury coming in, Sholing dropping down and Winchester City determined to go one better than second last term, competition will be fierce.

But Howes is confident Blackfield, who won the 2012/13 title under Ashley Vickers, will have all bases covered.

He laughed: “Lee Chudy knows a lot about Wessex clubs – and that’s because he’s played for most of them! He’ll be a valuable asset.

“James Ford was with (champions) Petersfield last season and I’ve told him he’s going to find it very tough to get in the team but he’s really looking forward to getting involved in coaching.

“Hopefully the three of us plus Chris and Robbo will complement each other very well. Robbo knows lots of players down Portsmouth way and Chris has the Bournemouth area covered. The amount of players they know is frightening!”

Howes has already pulled off a major coup, signing defender Sam Poole from under the noses of Southern Premier giants Weymouth.

Poole, a former Terras captain, was not a regular in the first-team last term due to the form of fellow centre-backs Calvin Brooks and Jamie Laird.

But Weymouth boss Jason Matthews still thought highly enough of the “model pro” to offer him renewed terms for 2015/16, which the player turned down.

“Sam’s 23 years old, young, hungry, strong, 6ft 3in tall – and he can play as well,” said Howes. “He’s a marquee signing for us and epitomises the type of player we’re looking to bring in.”

Former Eastleigh goalkeeper Matthews said of Poole: “He feels he would like to play a bit more and I couldn’t promise him football every week, but it’s sad to see him go.

“He is a whole-hearted player and very popular among the lads.”