‘Regrouping, rebuilding and engaging with the people of Hayling’ – new manager’s aims

Four years ago, Hayling United officials were talking about plans to return to the Wessex League.

But the Humbugs are now preparing to start life back in the second tier of the Hampshire Premier League, for the first time since 2016, after last season’s relegation.

Following former boss Dan Bishop’s departure, Deller has been tasked with helping to bring the smiles back to the island club.

And he has to do it with only a handful of the players who were first team regulars as Hayling lost nine of their final 10 Premier games in 2023-24 to go down, finishing below Denmead by virtue of an inferior goal difference.

Deller has stepped up from managing the reserves and will take joint charge of the first team alongside Rich Meli.

German Cervantes, who like Meli is a UEFA B qualified coach, has been brought in as first team coach.

“It’s like having to totally start again,” Deller told The News. “It’s a case of regrouping and rebuilding and trying to engage with the people of Hayling.

“We won’t have an under-18 team this coming season but we’re looking to run one in 2025-26, and we’re hoping to have an under-23s side by then as well.

“We’ve got the West Town pub as our matchball sponsor for the season and we’re working to get some other sponsors.

“But the immediate aim is to attract some new players.”

At present, just five of last season’s first team squad have said they are staying - goalkeeper Barney Conaghan (who is currently injured), Sam Neal, Harry Frost, Bailey Harkin and Kieran Dempsey.

Of the 18 players on duty in the Humbugs’ opening friendly, a 4-0 win against Bosham, just two (Dempsey and Neal) were at the club last season. There were also seven of Deller’s reserves from 2023-24 and nine triallists.

Longer-term, Deller - who joined Hayling in the 2022-23 season after previously managing a young Baffins team in the Mid-Solent League - is aiming to make the most of the club’s new youth set-up.

United have recently merged with Hayling St Andrews, bringing all the island’s major youth teams under one umbrella.

Deller knows the importance of youth, having spent seven years as chairman of the Gosport Falcons club.

“When I took over as chairman there were only six teams, but at the end of my time there were 40.

“We engaged with the local community and bearing in mind we were up against the likes of Fleetlands and particularly Gosport Borough, that was a major achievement.

“I want to create a pathway at Hayling from the youth teams to the senior side.”

Due to Hayling’s relegation from the HPL top flight, they had to pull their reserve team out of the Hampshire Combination. Instead, a development squad will compete in the Mid-Solent League in 2024-25.

As recently as 2012-13, the Humbugs were competing in the Wessex Premier alongside Moneyfields, Horndean and Bemerton, three clubs that have since gone on to play in the eighth tier.

Relegated at the end of that season due to the state of their Hayling College ground, the club were demoted again 12 months later after a points deduction.

Finding themselves in the second tier of the HPL, it took Hayling two seasons to win promotion. Deller is hoping the club’s stay this time is shorter. “The aim is to go up next season,” he stated.