IT’S all change at Alresford Town for next season with former Otterbourne boss Richard Luffman installed as new manager following the departure of Martin Beck.

Luffman is one of several ex-Otters switching camps to Arlebury Park following the closure of the Hampshire Premier League club after 53 years.

Several of the Otterbourne players that lifted the Hampshire Intermediate and Andover cups and finished a best-ever second in the HPL are expected to follow Luffman, including 54-goal top scorer Tom Sands and former Winchester City midfielder Chris Mason.

Luffman is also taking his management team of Marc Cole (assistant manager/goalkeeper coach) and Sam Veal (physio) with him to Alresford, while Ryan Doswell, nephew of ex-Eastleigh boss Paul, will share the assistant’s duties with Cole.

Doswell’s brother, Sam, will move across as Alresford’s club captain and a first-team coach will be appointed in due course.

Steve Harrod, manager of Otterbourne's reserves, will fill an identical role at Alresford, assisted by another ex-Otter George Black. 

Unless a reprieve is forthcoming, the Magpies are facing relegation to the Sydenhams One after a season of struggle in the Premier ranks.

They won just five out of 40 games, finishing second-to-bottom on 20 points.

It’s a familiar scenario for Luffman, a 30-year-old recruitment company director from Eastleigh, who lifted the hitherto struggling Otters up by their boot laces during three-and-a-half successful seasons in charge.

“When I took over at Otterbourne, they were bottom and conceding over 100 goals a season. “It’s similar to what I’m walking into at Alresford,” said the former Otters, Winchester Castle and Bishops Waltham centre-forward.

“But we’ll have a side at Alresford which, in my opinion, could comfortably compete in the Wessex Premier, if we do get a reprieve, or at the top end of Wessex One. We’ve set ourselves a three-year target of being a top-eight Wessex Premier side.

“The hardest thing has been keeping the Otterbourne lads together because every one of them has had Wessex clubs on the phone.

“But we’ve not lost any players yet and we probably need four or five additions to make us competitive. We’ve got some quite good contacts. We need to get people who are better than we’ve got.”

In Sands, Alresford have a potential successor to goal machine Warren Bentley, who has gone on to take the Southern League by storm with Winchester City.

“Tom’s had all sorts of Wessex clubs after him and also Fleet Town (of the Southern One Central). He’s only just turned 24 and he’s keen on improving himself at the higher level. He’ll be looking to finish next season on 30-plus goals,” said the boss.

Luffman stressed that Alresford’s current squad are all welcome to return for pre-season.

“The door won’t be shut on anyone,” he said. “We’ll pick the best players, there won’t be any favourites.”