GLENN Burnett has returned to Blackfield & Langley less than a year after leaving the Waterside club.

Having helped New Milton Town win their battle for Sydenhams Premier survival, the former Romsey Town boss has retraced his steps to Gang Warily and been appointed assistant boss to Ashley Vickers.

After taking a year out of football following his departure from Romsey, Burnett reappeared on the Wessex scene last summer as part of Louis Bell’s management team at Blackfield.

But his stay was short-lived due to what he described as “political” reasons.

However, Blackfield have transformed themselves since the appointment of former Dorchester boss Vickers, who has been working hard to turn the club’s image around.

Vickers admitted: “We were all desperate to get to the end of last season because there were things going on at the club that were unprofessional in the biggest sense of the word. I inherited disciplinary problems and there were things going on off the pitch – too many to mention – which I’d never seen in 20 years. It led to a lot of frustration for the people who are backing the club.

“But the whole ethos is changing now and by bringing in Glenn and his assistant John McFarlane we have made two great additions to the management team. They’re full of ideas, knowledge and enthusiasm.

“It’s important we have as good a team off the field as we have on it and if I’m out there playing, having Glenn around will take some of the pressure off.”

Whereas last summer Blackfield were trumpeting from the rooftops their intentions to challenge for the Sydenhams Premier title, this season will see a far more subtle approach.

For all their bold plans and bloated budget, the Waterside club finished a lowly 16th and used a massive 51 players during a chop-and-change 2011/12 campaign. Now Vickers, who recently moved up from the Weymouth area to start a new job with New Forest Care, is determined to change things for the better, working with a more realistic budget.

“The days of shelling out lots of money are gone. We can’t continue like that,” he said.

“The budget I’ve been given is average and we will have a wage structure where all the players are in reach of each other, rather than some earning a lot more. Hopefully we’ll also have more local players which will be nice for the supporters.”

Blackfield have confirmed that former Portsmouth, Sholing and Moneyfields marksman Warren Hunt has left the club.

Portsmouth-based Hunt was a high earner and Vickers admitted: “Keeping Warren was a long way beyond us this season. But I’ve got a lot of time for him. He always gave everything and I’m sure he will do well again.”