PETERSFIELD Town have unveiled John Robson as their new first-team manager.

The highly-experienced former Winchester, AFC Totton, Blackfield and Bashley boss is returning to Love Lane for a second spell in charge.

He was previously there during the 1980s when he took the Rams up into the Isthmian League.

Robson’s immediate task is to guide Petersfield away from the bottom end of the Evo-Stik Southern One Central, but he has set his sights higher long-term.

Robson, most recently in charge at Andover Town, said: “It’s good to be back in football and at a club which is near enough to home for me to walk to.

“I am happy and grateful to have been asked to be manager of this football club.

“I have some great memories of my first spell in charge at Petersfield and hopefully we can create some more this time around.

“I have got a lot of respect for what a friend of mine, Ian Saunders (now boss of Winchester City), did in his time as manager here and I hope to maintain the status he got this club to.

“My target is to stay in the league and improve on where we currently are and then I would like to try and get us to the next level."

Chairman Graeme Moir is delighted with the appointment and believes Robson’s arrival will allow the club to build for the future.

“John is vastly experienced and everyone I have spoken to about him has nothing but praise for what he has achieved in non-League football," he said.

"In many ways he is similar to our former manager Ian Saunders. When you sit down and talk to John about football he knows the game inside out. There is no player, coach or chairman John does not know about and his contacts within the game are extensive."