‘The complete package for a club of our stature’ – former Pompey boss Steve Claridge joins Wessex Leaguers Fleetlands

Claridge, 57, has been out of football since being sacked by Southern League Premier South club Salisbury last October.

He had been managing the Wiltshire club ever since they were founded in 2015, rising from the ashes of the defunct Salisbury City and winning the Wessex Premier title 12 months later.

Claridge’s role at Fleetlands has yet to be clearly defined, but Sellstrom said ‘managerial consultant’ is a good starting point.

Claridge, who started his footballing career just a mile or so from Fleetlands’ ground at Fareham Town, arrives at Powder Monkey Park in the wake of boss Dan Greenwood’s departure.

That followed the Coptermen finishing eighth in Wessex Division 1, just a year after they had been promoted from the Hampshire Premier League, and only losing to Fareham on penalties in the semi-finals of the Portsmouth Senior Cup.

‘We parted company with Dan,’ explained Sellstrom. ‘I wanted to take the club to another level and Dan wasn’t the man to do that.

‘I’m not faulting Dan at all, on the field we did really well. But I’ve always said to my managers that it’s not all about results on the pitch.

‘It’s about managing other sides in the club, about managing relationships in and out of the club, and managing relationships with other clubs.

‘I want to take it up a notch. I said when I arrived I had a five-year plan to get into the Wessex Premier. I’ve been here four and two of them were dead years due to Covid.

‘I make no bones about it, the minimum I will be expecting next season is the play-offs.’

With a former Premier League striker involved, expectations will no doubt be high. All of a sudden, the Coptermen could have a big target on their backs.

‘What can Steve bring? He will bring his name. People are already starting to talk about Fleetlands,’ commented Sellstrom.

‘We’ve had 14,000 views since we announced it on Twitter - we’ve never had that before for any announcement.

‘I hope he will be able to attract the level of player to help us achieve our ambition.’

Sellstrom has known Claridge since the early noughties, when he did some work for the much-travelled striker’s father.

‘We’ve always kept in touch since,’ he revealed. ‘We were chatting and I said - almost tongue in cheek really - ‘do you fancy doing something with us?’

‘When I first got off the phone with Steve, I was thinking ‘you know what, he might be interested’. I was cock-a-hoop, and I wouldn’t let go after that.’

Sellstrom continued: ‘Steve is the complete package for a club of our stature.

‘He is realistic, he knows we don’t pay wages. There’s no budget, unless someone wants to give us one!

‘But I’ve always thought if you get the right players with the right attitude, then you will get the right team. I’d rather have a team of players rather than 11 mercenaries.’

Petersfield Town are a template for Fleetlands - they won promotion in 2022/23 via the Wessex Division 1 play-offs without paying their players.

‘It can be done,’ said Sellstrom. ‘The pool is not that big around us for attracting players, and there’s some serious clubs.

‘But not every player wants to play for money, some just want to play and have some fun.

‘Some players just want to be part of something and, Jesus, we have a great project.

‘We want to get into the Wessex Premier, and we want to build a new clubhouse. It would be nice to leave a nice legacy.’

Fleetlands have pre-season friendlies lined up against Isthmian League newcomers Horndean, AFC Portchester and Fareham Town.

Sellstrom is also hopeful of arranging a game against Gosport Borough, where he was chairman until he sold out to current chief Iain McInnes in early 2019.