Seiden: We haven’t gone with ‘safe’ option

Moneyfields chairman Pete Seiden has admitted he hasn’t gone for the ‘safe’ option in bringing Glenn Turnbull back to Dover Road.

The former Moneys youth and reserve boss has been named as

Dave Carter’s replacement - once US Portsmouth’s FA Vase and Wessex League Cup campaigns are over.

Turnbull was one of four men interviewed by Moneys chairman

Pete Seiden and his fellow directors in the wake of Carter quitting to join AFC Portchester in early February.

The other three - including ex-Portchester and Gosport boss Mick Catlin - have all managed at a higher level than Turnbull.

But Turnbull’s recent successes at the Victory Stadium – they have been the outstanding team over the last two Wessex League Division 1 seasons - have earned him the right to jump up two steps of the non-league ladder.

Seiden, below, told The News:

‘All four were interviewed were very credible and all would have done a great job.

‘We just felt Glenn was what we were looking for at this moment in time.

‘He’s built a team at US Portsmouth who have been the talk of the local non-league scene. I have watched them a few times and they’re a good young side.

‘He’s done that with virtually no budget, and he’s built a great team spirit.

‘We are hoping he can bring some of those players over - I know Wessex League clubs have been looking at a lot of them.

‘We could have gone with a

‘safe’ option - all the others we interviewed have managed at a higher level - but sometimes it’s good not to go down that route.’

Moneyfields have placed Louis Bell and Louis Savage in joint charge of the first team ahead of next month’s Portsmouth Senior Cup semi-final with Fareham on April 24.

Turnbull has at least two USP games left to oversee - an FA Vase fourth round tie with Christchurch on April 17 and a Wessex League Cup semi-final with Bemerton on a date to be arranged.

The 2021/22 Southern

League season will get under way on Saturday, August 14.

The league confirmed the news yesterday as the decision to ‘curtail’ the 2020/21 campaign due to the Covid-19 pandemic gets set to be ratified on Thursday when the FA Council meets.

But the Southern League has now given its clubs something to work towards after they confirmed the new season for all their four divisions will start on August 14.

The extra preliminary round of next season’s FA Cup is scheduled to kick-off the new non-League campaign on Saturday, August 7 while the preliminary round will be on August 21. The 2021/22 EFL season is also due to start on August 7.

Big interview with new Moneyfields manager Glenn Turnbull - see pages 40 & 41.