BROCKENHURST are confident the arrival of Matt Sheedy and Chris Wateridge from Team Solent will help soften the potential blow of losing the Long brothers.

Between them, Jake and Ryan Long played more than 70 games for the Badgers last term, but they are expected to link up with former Folland Sports boss Dave Lewis at Sydenhams Premier neighbours Lymington Town.

Brock manager Pat McManus said: “Ryan and Jake have both played for Dave before and I think we’re going to lose them.

“But we’ve got a contingency in Matt and Chris who both play down the middle.

“Matt’s preferred position is where Jesse Waller-Lassen played at Team Solent (No10), but he was pushed out wide there, which is understandable.

“Chris is a central midfielder. He had a lot of commitments last year and didn’t play as much as he'd have liked, but he was instrumental in getting Team Solent out of Wessex One a couple of years back.”

Another ex-Team Solent man, defender Matt Burt, will be with Brock from the off this season having appeared nine times at the back end of 2016/17.

And such is McManus’s faith in Burt, that he is awarding him the skipper’s armband.

“Matt went from Salisbury to Hamble Club and, by his own admission, he came to us unfit,” said McManus.

“But we got him fit and he was outstanding towards the end of the season.

"He’s a good signing.

"He’ll start as captain this year, he’s got that about him.”

Joining McManus’s backroom staff for the new campaign is UEFA B Licence coach Ross Clark, while goalkeeping coach/back-up keeper Sam Cousins will double up as assistant manager.

“Ross and I will share the coaching and Sam will be a good conduit between me and the players,” McManus explained.

“Sam’s only young, but he’s good in the dressing room and the lads all like him."

With former Hants FA man and referee Matt Parfect taking on the football secretary’s job, Brock have just one more important role to fill – that of matchday physio.

Any suitable candidate can direct message Pat McManus on Twitter @pmcm06.

*More on this story and all the latest regional non-League news in the weekend’s Pink.