‘There’s no pressure on us to rip up trees’ – Moneyfields boss Glenn Turnbull ahead of club’s Wessex League return

Well, off the field anyway!

On it, things will certainly be harder for his Moneyfields side than they were for his US Portsmouth team in two memorable seasons at the Victory Stadium.

During his time at US, Turnbull often used to take the players’ kit home to wash. At every home match, he would be doing a variety of tasks before the main one of concentrating on that day’s fixture; he was heavily involved in trying to sweet-talk potential sponsors into handing over money; he answered messages on the USP Twitter site.

Last year, he recalled going to Portchester in the FA Vase and seeing THREE washing machines. A different world to the one he was used to. But, following the arrival of a new washing machine at Dover Road recently, not any more.

‘At US our usual matchday routine involved getting to the ground at 12, cleaning the changing rooms, laying the kit out, pumping up the balls, paying the ref,’ Turnbull recalled.

‘Here it’s completely different. We’ve got two kit men, more helpers - that will allow me, Barto (coach Paul Barton) and Fraser (assistant manager Quirke) to spend more time on match prep.’

On the field, Turnbull won 27 of his 38 Wessex Division 1 games at US - a winning ratio of 70 per cent.

He doesn’t expect anything resembling a repeat due to the ‘target on our backs’ as Moneys readjust to life back at step 5 after four seasons in the Southern League.

‘The club have been honest in terms of their expectations. There’s no pressure on us to rip up trees, just to finish as high as we can,’ Turnbull remarked ahead of his side’s opening league game at home to Cowes Sports tomorrow.

‘As I’ve said before, there will be a target on our backs because we’re seen as a big club.

‘Basically I’ve been told ‘don’t get relegated!’ There’s no expectations to win the league.

‘I think anyone who finishes above Portchester or Hamworthy would probably win the league, and I don’t think that will be us.

‘I know that probably sounds awful, but if we don’t win the league I won’t be fearing I could lose my job.

‘The other day I was added to the WhatsApp group from hell - there’s Birmy (Michael Birmingham, Horndean manager), Wilky (Baffins boss Shaun Wilkinson), Gav Spurway, Graeme Gee. We were talking about who could finish top eight.

‘You’ve got Portchester and Hamworthy, Shaftesbury will be strong now (former Christchurch boss) Ollie Cherrett has gone there.

‘Baffins will be strong - I’ve been impressed with the signings Wilky has made.

‘Harry Sargeant will add something different. They’ve made their aspirations clear and I expect them to be there or thereabouts.

‘Birms always plays down their chances, but Horndean will be strong - that’s five teams.

‘Fareham did really well last year, that’s six. And then you can add in teams like Blackfield & Langley and all of a sudden it’s like ‘Jesus!’

‘I would be delighted to finish in the top six, and I would be happy to finish in the top eight and have a cup run. That would be a modicum of success.

‘It’s very tough to get a promotion, particularly at non-league level. Portchester have found that out the last three years. Just because you have some money …

‘There are teams who have set themselves up, almost with a monkey on their back, and it’s hard to deliver.

‘Higher up the leagues you get more time to play, the lower down you go it’s more blood and guts. We’ve also got lots of derbies and they’re all blood, guts and thunder.

‘Local derbies are by their nature a leveller, and that will play into US’ favour - possibly not so much for ourselves and Portchester.

‘For me, Hamworthy are the favourites. Their season is all about the start - if they can get some early momentum they could be hard to catch.’

Asked how he expects his former club to fare in their debut Wessex Premier season, Turnbull replied: ‘I don’t know - I’m trying to distance myself from it.

‘Ryan Smart looks a decent signing, and (Tom) Jeffes will be key. It will be interesting to see how they get on up top with Rooty (George Root) and Sibbers (Dan Sibley) ready for the next phase of their development.

‘I hope they do well, I really, really do.

‘If I was in Tom’s (Grice, US boss) shoes, I would be happy to finish fourth from bottom. That’s not meant to sound conceited, but the first priority of any club that comes up is to stay up.’

Moneys chairman Pete Seiden, speaking to The News back in March, admitted his club asked to take voluntary relegation due to financial problems brought about by the pandemic. Yet he was also adamant he wants the club to return to the Southern League one day.

‘I would hate to be told ‘you have to win the league this season’ and then have a bad start, that wouldn’t be a great position to be in,’ said Turnbull.

‘I was watching the golf the other day and one of the commentators said ‘you don’t win The Open on the Thursday, but you can definitely lose it’.

‘Same with football. If you have a slowish start, and lose in the early rounds of the FA Cup and Vase and the Hampshire Senior Cup, you’re almost out before you’re in.

‘I know winning most weeks can breed complacency, and I know our win ratio at US will be impossible to replicate this season.

‘It’s definitely a different mindset. We can’t afford to get too high with the wins or too down at the losses. That’s going to be important for us. If we’re winning games, people will say we should be, that we’re a Southern League club and we shouldn’t be in this league.

‘If we’re losing, people will say ‘well what do you expect, he signed Wessex 1 players, they’re not as good as they thought they were, last season was a fluke’.’

As was to be expected, most of Turnbull’s signings have been players who excelled for him at US.

The likes of keeper Tom Price, defenders Tom Cain and Harry Birmingham and midfielder Callum Glen are no strangers to the Wessex Premier, but it will be fascinating to see whether playmaker James Franklyn - top scorer at US in both of Turnbull’s seasons in charge - can influence step 5 games as regularly as he impressed at step 6.

Elsewhere, Turnbull has brought the experienced and versatile Rob Evans back for his third spell at the club, recruited ex-Horndean defender Josh Mound, one-time Southampton Academy midfielder Matt McGlinchey and Hythe striker Mig Dark, who was a regular scorer in US’ pre-Turnbull era.

Dark will miss the first few weeks of the season with a quad injury and Tyler Moret is also injured, having not featured in pre-season.

Only two players remain from last season’s Moneys first team squad - talisman Steve Hutchings, the one man Turnbull was desperate not to lose, and young midfielder Danny Burroughs.

Portchester tried to lure Hutchings this summer, but the striker turned them down and is about to start his 10th season at Moneys - remarkable loyalty for a non-league footballer in this day and age.

And there is something else also remarkable about Hutchings - his Wessex League goals record, which stands at 140 league goals in six campaigns.

His presence alone should be worth a hefty amount of points in the coming months …