Eastleigh FC should tonight celebrate the start of a brave new world at the club.

Providing the members vote goes to form, the club will be reformed as Eastleigh Football Club limited with six equity directors including first team manager Paul Doswell.

"It's one of the most important days in the club's history," said Doswell, who was triumphant in his off-the-field power battle with chairman Roger Sherwood earlier this year.

More good news for the manager is that Eastleigh have clinched the signings of highly-experienced goalkeeper Paul Musselwhite and Weymouth duo Darren Wheeler and Brian Dutton.

Musselwhite, 37, is a veteran of over 700 league and cup games for Scunthorpe (two spells), Port Vale and Hull City after being released by Portsmouth, his home-town club, in 1988.

The shot-stopper, the uncle of Winchester City striker Jamie Musselwhite, turned down a contract offer from League Two club Boston United to return to the south coast.

Eastleigh director David Malone travelled to Nottingham last Friday to complete the signing of Musselwhite, who will vie with Wayne Shaw for the keeper's jersey in next season's assault on the Conference South title.

"We're going for it next season," said Doswell, "and to do that we need two number ones, which is what we now have. I'm delighted to have signed Paul.

"Despite his age, he's still ambitious - he wants to help us get into the Conference national and help keep us there.

"He could have stayed in the league, so this is a big decision for him - he's put his house on the market and asked us to keep a look out for houses for him down here."

The signings of Dutton and Wheeler complement that of a third ex-Weymouth man, ex-Saints defender Matthew Bound, who joined Eastleigh earlier this month after skippering the Dorset side to the Conference South title.

Midfielder Dutton, 21 last month, joined Weymouth from Cambridge City in 2004.

The Yorkshireman initially moved to the West Country to join Yeovil on trial, but when that didn't work out then Glovers boss Gary Johnson contacted his brother Steve, who was then in charge at Weymouth.

Wheeler, 22, who joined the Terras from Guildford and Godalming midway through 2004/05, can play on either wing.

"Both Brian and Darren were rated by Weymouth, they were both offered new contracts," said Doswell, who now wants to sign a striker to put pressure on Andy Forbes, Stuart Douglas and Dave Town.