Club record marksman Steve Hutchings leads Moneyfields’ ‘changing of the guard’ ahead of new Wessex League season

Club record goalscorer Steve Hutchings heads the list of experienced faces who have departed this summer.

Hutchings has signed for Isthmian Leaguers Chichester, linking up once again with his former Moneys boss Miles Rutherford.

Thoughts that he could dual sign for Moneys have been dashed as he has done exactly that with the club’s Wessex Premier rivals Brockenhurst.

Brock announced the dual signing after Hutchings had plundered four goals against them in Saturday’s 9-3 friendly win in the New Forest.

In addition to Hutchings, Moneys have also seen Callum Glen (Petersfield), Joe Briggs (Pagham), Eric Dellaud (Bognor Regis) and Jordan Pile and Jack Chandler (both Baffins Milton Rovers) depart in recent weeks.

‘Steve came to me and said he wanted a new challenge, so I have to respect that,’ said Turnbull.

‘It is what it is. There’s no point cryin over spilt milk.

‘With his record, Steve will always be remembered at Moneyfields. I still think on his day he is the best forward in the league.

‘Briggo said he needed games and didn’t feel he was going to get that here.

‘Jack Chandler was a strange one, he said he wanted a break from football and now he’s joined Baffins.

‘It’s been a changing of the guard and I’ve struggled a bit with that, which is why it was nice to get Jeffers (Tom Jeffes) back for the same reason.

‘My life at US (Portsmouth) taught me about people’s places in the food chain.

‘Players want new challenges and you have to accept that.’

Work commitments and injury restricted Hutchings to 19 league starts plus three off the bench last season, scoring seven times.

Chandler, meanwhile, made 38 league and cup starts for Moneys last season, with only Glen (40) making more.

Harry Birmingham has been tasked with playing right-back in a hectic pre-season for Moneys which continued with a 3-2 win over Clanfield on Saturday evening in the final of the Clanfield Cup.

That was a four-team competition which also involved Selsey and the newly-formed Havant & Waterlooville U23s.

Steve Ramsey scored twice to overturn Clanfield’s early lead before going off with a knee injury.

Callum Laycock - Moneys’ top scorer with 29 goals in all competitions last season - added a third before Wessex League Division 1 new boys Clanfield grabbed a consolation.

Chad Cornwell started at left back due to Elliott Turnbull being out with a groin injury and Josh Hazell unavailable.

Cornwell (hamstring) was also forced off with an injury, summer signing Marco De Souza - a University of Portsmouth student - coming on in his place, despite usually playing on the opposite flank.

Moneys travel to Folland on Tuesday and Abbey Rangers next Saturday for their final two pre-season friendlies.

Their Wessex campaign begins at Hythe & Dibden on Tuesday August 1 with an FA Cup tie against Westbury at Westleigh Park three days later.

Moneys' first five league games are all away due to the almost year-long delay in the John Jenkins Stadium being completed.

As it stands, the game against Fareham Town on September 2 is due to be the first at the new ground.