AFC Totton plan to offset their recent player losses by signing experienced midfielder Clive Ventham from Alton Town.

If he agrees to come to Testwood Park, manager John Robson hopes it will act as a sweetener to keep much-prized targetman Martin Whiddett with the Wessex League Cup winners.

With Paddy James, Wayne Shaw, Ben Thomson, Darren Curtis, Danny Barker and Ollie Shaw all departed, Robson is desperate to hang on to experienced skipper Whiddett to build his team around next season.

Winchester City and a handful of Ryman League clubs have all shown an interest in the combative striker.

But Robson said: "Clive, who was my skipper when we won the league at Alton, is a close friend of Martin's and we'll have more of a chance of persuading Martin to stay if Clive's here.

"We've missed out on signing Wayne Oakley (new co-manager of Hythe & Dibden), but Clive's another experienced player who can sit in midfield and do the same sort of job for me."

Robson is more optimistic about Totton's future following Thursday night's meeting when chairman John Dawson and the club committee put the players fully in the picture about next season's budget.

The manager reported: "The meeting went as well as expected. We made sure everything was explained to the lads and I left with the impression that the majority of players who have not signed for anyone else this summer are keen to have a go with me next season.

"The club's been very honest and told them the minimum budget available and, for most of them, the money they will earn will just about cover their expenses.

"I've been given an amount of money which I will share out more or less evenly and we'll be trying to find additional sponsorship for players like Whiddett and Parnell.

"Anything else that comes along - from a cup run, for example - will be distributed among the guys who are pulling on the shirts and doing the business out on the pitch."

Provided the feedback from the players is positive this weekend, Robson can assure the Testwood Park faithful that they will have a team worth watching next season.

He stressed: "I'm still ambitious and if people are paying to see Totton, then we will have a team out that gives them value for money.

"We had five potential new signings at Thursday's meeting, who are all players I know have the ability to do well at Wessex level.

"If we can keep players like Pete Clark, Whiddett, Mark Osman, Ritchie and Parnell, then that's the nucleus of a good side."