Pic: Petersfield Town FC
JOHN ROBSON has returned to Petersfield Town after 30 years away to become the Southern League Central outfit’s third manager in two months.
The highly-experienced boss is returning for his second spell in charge of the Rams having helped the club into the Ryman League back in the 1980s.
Robson will have to call on that experience as he takes over a Petersfield side who are sitting second bottom of the Southern Central with four points from 12 games.
The veteran boss, who has had spells in charge of Gosport Borough, Winchester City, Andover Town, Blackfield and Langley, Worthing and Dover, replaces Andy Neal who stepped down two weeks ago following a difficult start to the campaign.
Neal had only taken charge a week before the new season started following Ian Saunders’ shock move to Winchester City.
While guiding the club away from the relegation replaces will be his first task, Robson says his long-term aims include taking the Rams up to Step 3.
“It’s good to be back in football and at a club which is near enough to home for me to walk to,” he told the club’s website.
“I have some great memories of my first spell in charge at Petersfield and hopefully we can create some more this time around as well.
“My target is to definitely stay in the league and improve on where we currently are and then I would like to go on and try and get us to the next level.
“I would ask the supporters to give us two or three weeks to look at things and see what we have already in place, and then we will look to improve what we have already in the club and bring in any extra resources we need.”
Chairman Graeme Moir added: “I’m really pleased we have got John on board and I am fully confident we will now move away from the bottom end of the table.
“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 and his credentials for taking on the manager’s role here at Petersfield.
“He is exactly the candidate we were looking for – vastly experienced and well connected so he can make a real difference to our current situation and also take us forward in the future.”
