HAMPSHIRE League leaders Poole Town can rest safe in the knowledge that new Brockenhurst manager Graham Kemp will not be pillaging their players.
Although Kemp has a major rebuilding job to do on a beleaguered Badgers side who have already shipped 33 goals in just seven league games this season, he has given his word to the Dolphins that he will not disrupt their squad.
After quitting as Lymington & New Milton boss back in February, Kemp has spent the last seven months as player-coach at Poole.
But though the Dolphins have several players who could arguably do a decent rescue job for Brockenhurst, Kemp will not be tempted down that avenue.
He stressed: "No matter what state Brock are in, I've told Chris Reeves (Poole vice-chairman) that I won't be going back to raid their club.
"Chris was really good about it and said he'd have been a poor judge of character if he thought I'd do something like that.
"Obviously it's a different thing if one of the Poole players rings me, but I'd always be up front and tell Chris straight away."
Although Brockenhurst's resources are modest compared to what Kemp, below, was used to at Lymington, he is happy with the budget he has been given.
He said: "It's a fair budget and there's a chance it could be increased by Christmas. But, if we're safe by then, I'd rather put it in the pot for next season. There's no point paying out extra money to finish tenth.
"There won't be any signing on fees either because we're not that sort of club, but I'm confident I can do a job with the budget they've given me.
"It's going to be tough, but I'm full of enthusiasm and it doesn't faze me in the slightest. I must have made 100 calls to players over the weekend."
The signing-on deadline leaves Kemp unable to introduce fresh blood for tomorrow's tricky FA Vase second qualifying round trip to Hillingdon Borough, but it will be the ideal opportunity to assess the side he has inherited.
Brock's squad comprises mainly young players, many of them brought to the club by previous manager Hugh Lewis via his AFC Bournemouth links.
Kemp said: "There's been a lot of upheaval here and the players must be short on confidence. We've got to get that back as quickly as possible.
"It's too soon in the season to start panicking. There are nine or ten teams above us in the league who we want to try and catch. It'll be all hands to the pump until Christmas."
Kemp will be hoping for better luck tomorrow than Poole had in the previous round of the Vase. The Dolphins were pummelled 4-0 at home by Devonians Willand.
Dr Martens League, Wessex League, Hampshire League and local league round-ups in tomorrow's Pink, a must for all non-league players and supporters.
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