FORMER Salisbury City boss Geoff Butler has taken over the hot seat at Bashley vacated recently by John Robson.

Butler, out of the game since being ousted at Wey-mouth by the arrival of Steve Claridge last summer, says he is looking forward to life with the New Forest outfit where he will team up with Ricky Haysom - his former assistant manager at Salisbury.

"I've always found it a really friendly club with some nice people and Ricky tells me they're a great bunch of lads to work with," said Butler. "I'm really looking forward to getting my teeth into the new job."

Bashley missed out on promotion from the Dr Martens Eastern Division last season and will kick off the new campaign in Division One of the Isthmian League - a division below the Whites.

Butler, a former professional player with Middlesbrough, Chelsea, Norwich City and AFC Bournemouth spent more than 18 years at Salisbury before being made redundant following a boardroom wrangle.

Ironically, Bashley left back Mark List is being linked with a move to the Whites who, it is understood, expressed an interest in the ex-Basingstoke Town player last season. Now out of contract, City would not have to pay a fee for the 31-year-old.

LAVERSTOCK & Ford have named former Down-ton boss Gino Nardiello as their new manager ahead of their Sydenhams Wes-sex League Division Three campaign.

Joining Nardiello as player-coach is ex-Salis-bury defender Darren Lush who spent last season with Westbury United who Laverstock visit for a friendly on August 11.

Nardiello's assistant will be Russ Wells.

'Stock's pre-season training starts on July 5 at 7.30pm.