STEVE Hollick has his fingers tightly crossed that crowd magnets Salisbury and Hereford will be joining his AFC Totton side in the Southern One South & West next season.

The big-name pair, who collide in the FA Vase semi-final, first-leg at Edgar Street on Saturday, both top their respective Step 5 leagues and are seemingly nailed-on for promotion.

Should one – or both – join the South & West ranks for 2016/17, Hollick reckons it might entice some of the area’s more gifted Sydenhams Wessex players to break out of their comfort zone and test themselves in the Southern League.

“Hopefully we’ll get Salisbury and maybe even Hereford next season and, with some good teams coming down, this division is going to be even better in terms of quality,” he said.

“With a bit of luck, that might encourage a few more Wessex players to give Southern League football a go.”

While Totton already have the nucleus of next season's squad in place, they need two or three additions and could well explore the next league down.

Stags frontman Dylan Knight has blossomed since stepping up from Fawley AFC and Hollick believes there are many more where he came from.

“There’s more travelling in the Southern League but, credit to my lads, they’ve adapted well and the camaraderie on the team coach can be the best bit,” he said.

“It takes a while to adjust to the physicality of this league, but people like Dylan have done well.

“It would be nice to get a few of the better Wessex players playing at the right standard.

"Some of the lads at Gosport Borough (National League South) have stepped up and are playing at the level they should be and it would help clubs like ourselves and Winchester City if we could encourage more to do it.

“There’s not as much football played sometimes at this level, but it’s about adapting your game.

"Not too many players are willing to do the travelling but, if they did, I’m sure they’d enjoy it. There are some really good set-ups in the Southern League.”

Left-back Marc Diaper is Totton’s only absentee for Saturday's 12th-versus-7th home clash against North Leigh at the Testwood Stadium.

Defensive rock Pat Wilson returns, meaning young centre-back Tony Rolls will make way.

“Tony’s come in and he was excellent in the second half at Tiverton last week,” said Hollick.

“But Pat’s a big player for us. He’s been phenomenal since he joined us from Wimborne.”