NEW Fareham Town boss Louis Savage has walked into a hornet's nest at Cams Alders.

But the man who must pick up the pieces amid the turmoil surrounding Jon Gittens's departure doesn't blame the fans one bit for kicking up a stink.

He said: "The fans pay their money and they've got a right to have their say. What I want to do now is get Fareham playing the type of football to put a smile on their faces.

"We need to get supporters through the gates and we'll do that by playing good football. I like my teams to keep the ball and pass it."

Savage, a friend of Gittens's predecessor Duncan Pratt, actually helped the former Saints and Portsmouth defender to settle in at Cams Alders two years ago.

He said: "Almost all the players Duncan had at Fareham were in the youth team I ran with Louis Bell (his right-hand man) and I helped Jon out in pre-season to get to know the boys."

Subsequently, some of those players like midfielder James Lacey, ex-Saints Academy defender Adam Stallard and striker Pete Wood left the club - the latter after a public fall-out with Gittens, but Savage said: "I always found Jon okay.

"Team management is a demanding job and I'm not going to knock anyone. A few of the boys left Fareham and I don't really know why, but they're training with us again now."

"I've known Peter Wood since he was seven and he's 21 now. He's a bit of character and we need some of them."

Along with his vast experience of youth football, Savage has managed senior sides at Portfield and Moneyfields Reserves. He also does some scouting for Saints and has steered a clutch of 15-year-olds like Billy Huntley, Jake Thomspon and goalkeeper Jack Stanbridge onto the youth ladder at St Mary's.

His right-hand man, Bell, was a youth coach at Portsmouth and already Fareham's new management team have used their Fratton Park connections to sign centre-half Ryan Hughes on his release from the Premiership club.

Bell, a UEFA B qualified coach, recently inspired Portsmouth Schools' under-15s to their first national success in 100 years.