AFC Totton are in the hunt for a new manager after John Robson was yesterday confirmed as the man to succeed Barry Blankley at Bashley.

Robson's name was immediately linked with the post when Blankley quit three weeks ago, but his gut reaction was that he wanted continue at Testwood Park where he succeeded Ian Robinson in February.

But he confessed: "I've seen it all before when the chat goes around about getting this job or that job and I'm not interested until someone actually puts it on the table and says they want me.

"I told Totton's players, chairman John Dawson and the staff after Tuesday night's game that I would be going down to meet Bashley on Thursday and I'm fortunate that Bashley wanted me to take the job.

"I'm looking forward to it, but I will miss Totton. I didn't know too much about them when I went there, but they're a good little club with a nice set of lads. We've done well collectively and it's not as if I've left them struggling.

"But with all due respect to Totton, we couldn't have gone anywhere, whereas at Bashley I have got the impression that they want to go places."

Under the non-league restructuring due next season, the top seven Dr Martens Eastern Division clubs will be promoted to the Premier Division, who stand to lose 15 clubs to the new Conference North and South Divisions.

Robson said: "Bashley are ambitious and so am I. Guys who run these non-league clubs put a lot of hours in as well as finance and the only way they get their rewards is to lift the club to higher standards."

Robson, whose previous clubs include Worthing, Alton and Winchester City, will not be available to start work at Bashley until Tuesday week (September 30). He is at his son's wedding today and then off for a week's holiday in Spain.

Caretaker boss Ricky Haysom has been confirmed as Robson's assistant and will take charge for the next three games, starting with today's trip to Erith & Belvedere.

Totton, who went third in the Sydenhams Wessex League following Tuesday's 5-1 win over Whitchurch, will have reserve team manager Ian Shields at the helm at Blackfield & Langley today.