OTTERBOURNE chairman Stuart Munro has dangled a carrot of a trip to Marbella over the players and management as they look to build on a third place finish and win the Puma Engineering Hampshire Premier League.

Manager Richard Luffman watched on as “poorer sides” than his were promoted to the Sydenhams League last season, writes Peter Howard.

But the ambitious Oakwood Park outfit are looking to change that and are enquiring about the possibility of promotion to the Wessex in the coming seasons.

The chairman, as an extra incentive, has agreed to send the players to the Spanish holiday destination if they achieve their targets for the coming campaign.

Of course, Otters are already busy preparing for what could be a big season, if they achieve their lofty goals and jet off to the Costa del Sol.

“We’ve kept the whole squad and management team together despite a lot of interest from Wessex clubs in both players and me,” explained Luffman.

“The chairman has kindly agreed to pay for the whole first team to go to Marbella providing we hit all the targets he is setting for us.

“We are also enquiring about Wessex football as seeing sides a lot poorer than us going up isn’t good.

“As a club we know it’s Hamble Club who we have to beat and that’s the target to finish above them and then the league is ours.”

High on Luffman’s agenda, after the season finished, was to keep most of the squad together.

Already 42-goal top-scorer Tom Sands has been signed again for next term and five more key players – Dan Strange, Steven Hall, Sam Doswell, Luke Pothecary, Tom Richards – have all rejoined, among others.

There is a question mark of Tommy Wright’s future however, with the youngster currently on trial with Sutton United.

Luffman remains hopeful that Wright could return, but admitted that the club would be “delighted” if he does sign for a club that plays five levels above the Hampshire top-flight.

One man who is definitely leaving is Martin Moore, who returns to the Isle of Man after four years living on the south coast.

But, with pre-season training due to start on June 23, the Otters are expecting a further influx of players.

Anyone interested in joining Otterbourne should contact Luffman on 077691 13556.