‘I’ve come down to go up’ – former Paulsgrove and Fleetlands manager Rich Bessey appointed boss at Infinity

The former Fleetlands manager is back in Saturday football and relishing the opportunity in what is effectively the 12th tier.

Infinity were placed in Division 1 of the Hampshire Premier League last summer - a year after being promoted from the league above.

But their stint in the Wessex League was cut short mid-season when they had to withdraw due to a lack of a home ground.

They are now based outside of Hampshire - in the village of Sidlesham, near Chichester - after previous spells playing in Winchester, Southampton, Knowle Village and Hythe & Dibden.

Bessey is Infinity’s fourth manager since current Baffins Milton Rovers boss Danny Thompson stood down after the pandemic had scuppered the club’s Wessex promotion hopes in 2019/20.

Gary Wheatcroft and Mark Dugan were in situ for short spells before Grant - who had replaced Bessey as Paulsgrove boss in 2019 - was appointed shortly after the start of 2021/22.

An Infinity statement said Grant and assistant Lee Jones had ‘vacated’ their positions, which followed a 2-2 HPL draw with lowly Whiteley Wanderers. Prior to that, Infinity had lost 4-2 to Meon Milton - remarkably, the club’s first HPL loss for 45 matches, a run stretching back to April 2019.

Bessey was approached by Infinity owner Jody Hoare last week with a view to making his HPL return.

Asked if he was surprised to receive the call, Bessey remarked: ‘Very much so.’

Having been interviewed for the manager’s job at Wessex Premier side Alresford earlier this season, dropping down into the second tier of the HPL could be considered a bit of a comedown.

Bessey said: ‘I’ve come down to go up again, that’s the aim.

‘I want to win the division (this season) and then look to go up again next season. The facilities and squad are Wessex League standard.

‘I just felt there was nothing (in the Portsmouth area) in the Wessex League that was going to come up, I couldn’t see a role coming up - so how long do you wait?

‘Sidlesham is only 20 minutes away from my house, I live in Havant.

‘The set-up there is unbelievable, it’s got huge potential. As soon as I saw it, I was in awe.

‘The clubhouse is huge, there’s a manager’s room, floodlights, the pitch is like a carpet, they’ve got a long-term lease.

‘Apart from Clanfield (who groundshare at Hawks’ Westleigh Park), this is the best set-up in the Hampshire League. It’s better than some in Wessex 1.

‘I want to try and bring in more support, I want to organise some charity days, get some networking done.’

Bessey inherits a squad which is currently lying second in HPL Division 1, four points adrift of leaders Hook but with two games in hand.

Many of the squad that were playing Wessex 1 this time last year have remained loyal.

They include prolific strikers Jamie White, Danny Phillips and Harry Osman, plus Andrew Powell and Josh Oxlade.

Midfielder Liam Crook - who has played in the Southern League for Sholing - is another who could easily still be operating at Wessex League.

Mitch Austin and Shane Flooks - who Bessey has managed before - have also turned out for Infinity this season.

First up for Bessey is a trip to Basingstoke this weekend to face Twenty10, a team he freely admits he knows nothing about. That is followed by back-to-back league fixtures against lowly Lyndhurst.

‘I’ve got to try and make an early impression,’ he admits. ‘I’ll be bringing in one or two players, but we’ve got a squad that shouldn’t be playing at this level. If they perform like they can, we should get out of this division.’

Bessey started the season managing the Friends Fighting Cancer team in the City of Portsmouth Sunday League. He stepped down from that role a few weeks ago, due to family commitments, but will again be managing a team in the annual FFC tournament in 2023.