2:42pm Friday 25th May 2007
ATTACKING midfielder Lloyd Webber and striker Jamie Musselwhite have both left Winchester City for pastures new.
Webber is heading to Southern 1 South & West newcomers Gosport Borough.
And according to Gosport boss Alex Pike, the 26-year-old has been selected as much for his character as for the footballing pedigree that made him such a key member of Winchester's FA Vase-winning team of 2004.
At over six feet tall, Webber will add some much-needed height to the Borough squad.
Pike said: "Lloyd will give us the physical presence that was missing when we lost Danny Sturman for the last six weeks of last season, but he also likes to get the ball down and play.
"And having had a lot of dealings with him and his family recently I have to say that, above all, he is a very nice person.
"Gosport are a family club and we don't want any bad apples in the barrel.
"Lloyd has a young son and daughter and family life is important to him and that's something our chairman John Stimpson tries to encourage at Gosport.
"If it makes a player happy to have his wife and children around, then he will give his best on the football field."
As well as making 244 appearances for Winchester, netting 46 times, Webber has played for Andover, Fareham, Brockenhurst, Salisbury, Basingstoke and Woking.
Pike admits he had to pinch himself when he read his signing-on form.
"Lloyd seems to have been around for ages and I couldn't believe it when I saw that he's still only 26," he said. "He's not even in his prime yet."
Webber - who is believed to have been courted by both Bashley and Farnborough - is one of three new arrivals at Privett Park.
Meanwhile, striker Jamie Musselwhite became the second big name' to leave the Wincheser City fold this week when he signed for ambitious Sydenhams Premier outfit VT FC.
Musselwhite's departure from the Denplan City Ground follows hot on the heels of midfielder Lloyd Webber.
Having scored 38 goals for Winchester in the Sydenhams League in 2005/6, 24-year-old Musselwhite had a poor season by high own high standards in the Southern 1 South & West last term.
And, according to VT boss Dave Diaper, the Warsash-based former Hamble ASSC and Fareham Town marksman is voluntarily taking a step down in standard to get his confidence back.
Diaper, who has beaten Gosport and Fareham for Musselwhite's signature, said: "It was Jamie who phoned me originally. He said he was looking to drop down a level for a season or so to rekindle his love of the game and get back to scoring ways.
"He didn't have the best of seasons for Winchester last year, but he had a lot going on outside the game. He got married and started his own building business.
"But overall he had a very impressive scoring record with Winchester and I'm more than happy to accommodate him at VT."
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