PITMAN CLASS SUITS ROYALS
AFC PORTCHESTER boss Dave Carter says striker Brett Pitman will elevate the club to a different level this season. Aside from a loan spell at Eastleigh last term, Pitman, 34, has spent his entire career in the Football League, scoring 195 goals in 611 games for the likes of Bournemouth, Bristol City, Ipswich Town and Portsmouth. Released by Bristol Rovers in May, he quit the full-time game to concentrate on earning his coaching badges, but was persuaded to join the ambitious Wessex League outfit in a player-coach role. “We got an inkling that Brett was looking to drop down the Pyramid,” said Carter. “He’s doing his UEFA A Licence at AFC Bournemouth so he couldn’t commit to fulltime football.
“After that, it’s one of those – you pick up the phone, have a go, and if nothing comes of it, nothing lost.
“But Brett’s a very honest man, very down to earth. He liked what I had to say, liked what he saw at Portchester and decided this was the club for him.
“Don’t get me wrong, it took a lot of hard work. A lot of convincing. But with a bit of negotiation we got our man.”
The Royals have made no secret of their desire to reach the Southern League, with Carter – a promotion winner at Moneyfields – employed last summer to do precisely that.
“There’s nothing quiet about Porchester,” he added. “We’re very open about where we want to be and I think signing Brett could be a massive part of that.
“Of course we expect him to score a few goals. But I’m a believer that someone like him raises everyone else’s game by ten or 15 per cent.
“He does a lot of forward and finishing coaching at Bournemouth, he’s played at a great level his whole career.
“He loves his football, he just wants to play week in, week out and enjoy it. He’s a great lad and that can’t help but rub off on the lads.”