Infinity boss Wheatcroft: ‘I am under extra pressure because of what happened last season’

Last term the club were on course for promotion to the Wessex League, for the first time in their history, before life went into lockdown.

Under Danny Thompson, Infinity won 20 and drew four of their 24 Hampshire Premier League games - only to have their season null and voided by the FA.

They were just six matches away from becoming the first team in HPL history to go the entire league term undefeated.

Wheatcroft has managed to keep most of last season’s squad, having only lost keeper Tom Boyle to East Grinstead, Kurt Watts and Charlie Cooper to Baffins and Chay Dugan to league rivals Locks Heath.

That still leaves Infinity boasting the considerable firepower of ex-Southampton striker Jamie White (41 goals last season) plus Andrew Powell (21), Danny Phillips (20) and Wayne Boud (20).

‘I know we will be the team everyone raises their game against,’ said Wheatcroft, who has never managed in the HPL before.

‘I am under extra pressure because of what happened last season.

‘I want to win the league, I will certainly be expecting to finish in the top four - if we don’t it would be a disaster.

‘The aim is to be playing in the Wessex League the following season.’

Infinity’s first HPL game of 2020/21 is an intriguing trip to Hayling Island next Tuesday, the Humbugs having ended last season with eight straight league wins – something not even Infinity could achieve last term.

‘We are looking strong. It will be a tough first game at Hayling but I can’t wait,’ said Wheatcroft. ‘That will be a hard game, but it depends how hard we want to make it for ourselves.’

Wheatcroft has signed centre half Richard Sibley, from Southampton area grassroots football, and also brought in one-time Salisbury midfielder Cameron Hough.

Teenager Keiran Webster could get the nod in goal following Boyle’s departure.

Infinity, meanwhile, have been handed an early-season clash with fellow Senior Division heavyweights Bush Hill.

The Southampton-based club are due to visit Hythe & Dibden FC - where Infinity are groundsharing in 2020/21 - on Wednesday, September 23.

Both games between the teams were drawn last season. Out of 44 league games combined, Infinity and Bush only lost once in 2019/20 - the latter’s 2-0 home defeat to Fleetlands on September 7.

There is an early-season repeat of that latter game as well, with Fleetlands facing Bush on Saturday, September 5 - three days after lifting the curtain on 2020/21 at home to new-look Locks Heath at Lederle Lane.