DAVE Leworthy dips his toe into the water as new manager of Havant & Waterlooville tonight admitting: "It's funny what coincidences football can throw up."

By quirk of fate, the 41-year-old former Spurs striker's first game in charge will be at Fareham Town - the club that put him back on the professional path after he was released from his hometown club Portsmouth.

Having joined Pompey in his schoolboy days and spent eight years at Fratton Park, Leworthy was released for financial reasons in 1982 having made just one appearance as a substitute against Newport County.

He sought solace in non-League football, signing for Richie Reynolds at Fareham and two years later was snapped up for £43,000 - still a Fareham club record - in a fairytale move to London giants Tottenham, where he rubbed shoulders with Glenn Hoddle and Ossie Ardiles.

That was the springboard to an eight-year professional career which took him to Oxford United, Shrewsbury Town (loan) and Reading before he dropped into the Conference with Farnborough Town.

From there the master marksman wrote his name into non-League folklore, peaking with four England semi-professional caps and two FA Trophy wins for Kingstonian.

Two decades on, Leworthy has not forgotten how tonight's Hampshire Senior Cup quarter-final hosts Fareham transformed his career.

He said: "They were a great club for me and going back there tonight is all part of the romance of football. I remember Richie Reynolds brought a whole new team to Fareham and there was tremendous team spirit there."

Fareham's current boss, Jon Gittens, the former Saints and Pompey defender, will be doing his best to make Leworthy's baptism as uncomfortable as possible.

Town go into the game boosted by Saturday's 2-0 Wessex League win over fourth-placed Totton and Gittens said: "Realistically we are playing a team two levels above us who, on their day, are one of the top three teams in the Dr Martens Premier.

"But we're at full strength, fully fit and we'll be having a real go. We've come this far by working together as a squad and battling hard."

Havant's board of directors have categorically stated that former AFC Bournemouth striker Chukki Eribenne will not be moving to Weymouth, following reported interest from Terras boss Steve Claridge.

Two of the other Hampshire Senior Cup quarter-finals are scheduled for Tuesday, January 27 - Aldershot v Eastleigh and Lymington & New Milton v Basingstoke Town - both with 7.45pm kick-offs. The other tie, between Portsmouth Royal Navy and Farnborough Town, will be played at Farnborough's Aimita Stadium on February 3 (7.45).

Gosport Borough, winners of the Echo-sponsored Wessex club-of-the-month award for December, have signed Ollie Cherrett from Bashley. The versatile defender joined Bash last June having been part of Dorchester Town's title-winning Eastern Division side. Bashley have confirmed the signings of midfielder Gareth Keeping and striker Stuart Cannie from Newport IoW. Tomorrow's friendly against DML table-toppers Weymouth at the Recreation Ground has been called off.