AFC TOTTON chairman Richie Maton has quashed rumours that team boss Stuart Ritchie is being head-hunted from higher up the pyramid.

Maton is calling on the people of Totton to come out in support of their club for tomorrow's big FA Vase clash with Wessex title rivals Gosport Borough - and the last thing he wants is unfounded rumours circulating about the future of the manager.

Replying to some mischievous banter on the Internet, Maton said: "I feel I need to stop these rumours once and for all.

"Stuart has not been in contact with any club nor has any club been in contact with him.

"We've had long discussions about his future and the future of the club and he wants to stay.

"Stuart and his team have done a great job over the last three seasons and should be congratulated instead of being the subject of false rumours "Of course you can never say never and if a club like Eastleigh, for example, were to come in for Stuart he would have to think about it, but at the moment he's happy here and pleased with the way we're progressing.

"Stuart's champing at the bit for Totton to progress further and we're trying to put things in place to make sure that happens.

"If people are trying to upset the apple cart, they're barking up the wrong tree."

For the moment Totton will not be offering Ritchie a contract, but it's not out of the question for the future.

"We've never been in a position to pay any of our managers and at the moment Stuart would rather have those finances to build his side than to look after himself," said Maton.

"But that's not to say we won't talk about a contract when the time is right for both parties."

While Ritchie's young braves are more than capable of pushing for league and Vase success this season, the club's hopes of climbing the pyramid hinge on a potential move to a new ground.

Maton, though, is confident that it won't be too long before the Stags have the facilities to complement their talented manager.

"Stuart's ambitious, we all are, and we will get there," he pledged. "But if you're asking for a time scale, I can't give it at the moment."

With Totton just a point ahead of Gosport at the top of the Sydenhams Premier, tomorrow's second round tie has all the makings of a classic.

And if it pulls in the bumper crowd it deserves, Maton is determined not to send the Totton faithful home disappointed.

"Last season over 400 people braved the pouring rain to see us play Bishop's Cleeve in the FA Cup and we ended up losing 4-0," he recalled.

"But that showed the commitment of the Totton people and we need to get the message out that the more people who come and watch us, the more success we can have.

"Our gates are up by 30-40 this season and already there a few who don't bother going to St Mary's any more.

"We're trying to give them the best quality football we can on the budget available.

"We'd love to bring success to the town of Totton and, likewise, we'd love the town of Totton to bring success to this club."