Wessex round-up: Wood pours cold water on Priory speculation (From Bournemouth Echo)

Wessex round-up: Wood pours cold water on Priory speculation

7:00am Friday 4th January 2013 in Non league football By Ian Wadley

JAMES Wood has played down rumours linking him with the Christchurch job – just days after being congratulated on accepting it.

Speculation on the non-league circuit has suggested that the Poole Town assistant boss could be in line to succeed Graham Kemp at Hurn Bridge.

The former Poppies manager revealed the talk went a step further at Wimborne on New Year’s Day – when people in the Cuthbury clubhouse gave him a pat on the back for landing the Priory post.

But Wood says he is happy with his role at Tatnam and has not considered a switch back to the Wessex League with Christchurch.

He told the Daily Echo: “I am hearing the same things. When I walked into the clubhouse at Wimborne, people were saying ‘congratulations, you have taken the Christchurch job’. It was the first I had heard of it!

“Kempy is a very good friend of mine and I spoke to him when he announced he was leaving. We had a quick conversation but that was just as friends.

“I have had no approaches from Christ-church, I have-n’t contacted Christchurch and it is not something that really interests me at the current time.

“I am more than happy at Poole Town and I am really enjoying what we are doing there – it is excellent.

“It (the Christchurch job) has not really entered my brain.”

Premier Division high-fliers Christchurch, under the management of Kemp until a new boss is appointed, host basement boys Romsey Town tomorrow (3pm).

Dan Taylor remains on the sidelines with ankle ligament damage.

Kemp said: “You saw what QPR did to Chelsea so you do not take anything for granted.”

Priory: (from) Collins, Thompson, Legg, Crutchley, Yelland, Magookin, Smith, Burden, Puckett, Osborne, Cook, Cornick, Griffin, Burt, Dand, Frampton.

•  Relegation-haunted New Milton Town will be aiming to build on their improving form when they visit Fawley on the back of a win and a draw over the festive period. Elsewhere, Bournemouth Poppies host Totton & Eling in a mid-table showdown at Victoria Park.

Linnets: (from) Hookway, Morris, Blackburn, Booker, Curtis, Barge, Thomson, Egerton, De’ath, Cox, Roberts, Fox, Pidgley, Donaldson, Proctor, Head, Digby.

Poppies: (from) Vaughan, Ayrton, Jackson, Corby, Batchelor, Lockyer, Watt, Ward, Saadi, Phillips, Joyce, Molyneaux, Martin, Burgis, Clarke, Phillipson-Masters, Caslake, Jones.

•  Ringwood Town visit Tadley Calleva in Wessex One.