Why Gale is determined to stay local as he starts his Gosport Borough squad revamp

The head coach last week began his rebuilding by bringing Dan Wooden, Joe Lea and Pat Suraci back to Privett Park and signing ex-Hawks centre half Jordan Rose.

Wooden, a big fans’ favourite in his first spell at the club, lives a mile from Gosport’s ground while Lea and Suraci work at the club as centre of excellence coaches.

Suraci was once part of Southampton’s academy and has also played in Belgium and for Weymouth and Bognor Regis. He will coach Gosport’s under-23s next season.

Portsmouth-born Lea was also in the Southampton academy before making one professional appearance for Yeovil Town. He has also played for Dorchester and Bognor and will coach Borough’s under-18s in 2020/21.

Keeper Pat O’Flaherty, Rory Williams and Ryan Woodford and captain Mike Carter have also signed new deals.

Gale has been touted players based in London, but is keen to create a squad with an ‘affinity’ for the club.

‘I have made some good progress,’ he told The News.

‘I’ve kept a few of the players I wanted to keep on, and I’ve brought in a few new ones. ‘There will be three or four more, possibly more than that, and a few young players.

‘I don’t like to go on about it, but the success we had at Havant was down to the fact we had a good group of local players.

‘That’s not always easy to get - there’s a lot of clubs around here, a lot of competition - but that’s what I’m trying to get.

‘I don’t want people travelling miles to play for Gosport. I’ve been offered players from the London area, but I don’t want players travelling two hours to play for a part-time club.

‘You’d also have to pay those players extra to travel and we’re not going to do that.

‘If you have local players they have an affinity for the club and when they’re not travelling miles it makes it easier.’

It is certainly a case of evolution rather than revolution for Gale, who replaced Lee Molyneaux in charge last month.

‘There was a nucleus of very good players already here,’ he remarked.

‘Add in the new ones and we’ll be a fit and organised team. Hopefully we’ll have a good season, whenever that starts.’

Wooden’s return comes after the player bagged 20 goals for two tiers lower AFC Portchester in 2019/20.

‘To be fair, I didn’t chase him,’ said Gale. ‘I’ve always liked Dan, he’s a good player and he was a thorn in our side when I was at Havant. I like the way he plays.

‘I thought he had signed for Portchester, but Mike Carter phoned me up asking did I know he was available and would I be interested?

‘That was a no brainer for me. I think Dan has a point to prove in coming back - not to me, he doesn’t - and he wants to play for the club. Within five minutes of speaking to him we had agreed a deal.

‘I want players who first and foremost want to play for Gosport.

‘The chairman (Iain McInnes) is a 100 million per cent committed to the club, and he deserves a bit back.

‘We’re not going to win every game, but in every game I want people to come off the pitch having given 110 per cent.

‘Dan will add to our squad. He can open teams up and he can score goals.’

Borough boasted a good defensive record last season - only 32 goals conceded in 33 games.

That was the third best in the section after leaders Truro and Poole (who played six fewer games than Borough) and Gale has kept keeper Pat O’Flaherty, wing back Rory Williams and centre half Ryan Woodford.

He offered Sam Roberts - Woodford’s regular defensive partner in 2019/20 - a new deal but the player turned it down to sign for Salisbury.

‘I made Sam an offer, but he didn’t want to stay. I wish him all the best - players make decisions that they have to live and die with, same as managers.’

As a result, Gale has brought in Rose, who played over 20 games at centre half for Hawks in their 2018/19 National League campaign.

‘This is a tough league, a physical league, and Jordan’s a big, strong player. I was really pleased to sign him,’ Gale said.

‘I was very impressed by the fact he didn’t mention money. He’d already signed before that was talked about. He was happy to sign because he wants to play for Gosport.

‘Players at this level deserve to get paid, but that wasn’t the reason Jordan wanted to come.’

Both Suraci and Lea started last season in Molyneaux’s squad, but left before Christmas to join Blackfield & Langley.

Gale added: ‘Pat is a technically very good player. I know he can frustrate some managers, but it’s down to me to get the best out of him.

‘Joe Lea is another who works as a coach in the academy. He’s a good player, he’s got a great footballing brain.

‘Those two are part of the club. If they are working here, I don’t want them playing for someone else, I want them in my squad.

The head coach continued: ‘I look forward to working with the group. We haven’t gone back training yet - it would be pointless as we don’t know when the season is starting.

‘The season might not start until September, and I don’t want to do a 14-week pre-season.

‘This will be my 35th pre-season in football and at the moment I’m keen to do a normal seven or eight-week pre-season.’

Gale is also in no mood to rush the appointment of an assistant manager.

‘I’ve interviewed four or five people and there’s others I’d like to talk to,’ he explained

‘I feel it’s a really, really important position.

‘There’s been a lot of interest - I’ve spoken to people who have coached or played at a far higher level than I have.

‘I need someone I can trust, and I don’t want someone who will always agree with me, I need someone who will challenge me.

‘I’m being a little bit fussy, but I have the time to do that. I’m not going to rush it.’