Former Hawks and Gosport boss Shaun Gale back in non-league football – in the 10th tier

The 54-year-old has agreed to become the sporting director of Southern Combination outfit Infinity.

Managed by ex-Fleetlands and Paulsgrove boss Rich Bessey, Infinity are currently in their first season in the mainly Sussex-based Combination after winning back-to-back Hampshire Premier League promotions.

Gale’s last role in the game was at Westleigh Park, after then boss Jamie Collins had brought him back to the club as a coach.

He had previously spent two decades at the club, famously overseeing the 2007-08 FA Cup fourth round trip to Anfield as manager. Later, as assistant to Lee Bradbury, Hawks won back-to-back promotions - catapulting the club into a one-season stay in the National League.

However, just a week after returning to Hawks last year, Collins was sacked with Gale taking charge of the Hawks for a National League South loss to Truro. He subsequently left once Steve King had been officially installed as Collins’ replacement.

Prior to that, Gale was manager of Gosport between summer 2020 and October 22.

He had joined Boro in early 2020 on the request of boss Lee Molyneaux, who he knew well from their days together at Hawks. Once Molyneaux resigned, due to his day job workload, Gale was the obvious choice of chairman Iain McInnes to replace him.

An Infinity statement said: “Shaun will oversee ALL football operations at the club including developing players through our current youth set-up and extending operations further, increasing our number of teams and offering for the local and wider community.”

Lee Stainton, who was previously involved in coaching at Fleetlands and Fareham, took over as Infinity chairman midway through last season.

He said: ‘I have wanted to bring Shaun to the club since I took over as chairman.

“Shaun is a good friend and I am confident he will bring growth and stability to our club.

“As a club we have come a long way in a very short space of time and bringing in someone of Shaun’s stature within local and national football is a huge coup for us, which I am sure will make people look at us.

“I know that this will increase the expectation of the club as well.”

Gale added: ‘Football has been my life and, although I’ve been offered opportunities to return to the game on many occasions, I have decided to join Infinity - an ambitious football club who have the hunger and desire to succeed.

“My role will be to oversee ‘all things football’ by working closely with the manager and management team.

“Speaking to the chairman, they are getting lots of things very right off the pitch. But to continue the same great work on the pitch, he felt they needed some experience.

“The nice thing is, I know Rich Bessy and he has done a fantastic job. He loves the club and welcomes the support to get it to the next level.”

Bessey has assembled a squad packed full of experienced Wessex League performers, such as Josh Hazell, Tommy Tierney, Stan Bridgman and Tee Kanjanda.

His newest signing, though, has played far higher in the pyramid.

Ashley Harris, 30, made his Pompey debut in the Championship in 2011-12, going on to make 32 first team appearances.

Harris has moved to Sidlesham - the Sussex venue where Infinity have been based for two years - after starting this season with AFC Portchester.

Harris made his Infinity debut in Tuesday’s 2-0 Peter Bentley Cup loss at Combination Premier high-fliers Hassocks.