Challis joins Jordan at Eastleigh

Jordan has company for promotion drive

- By Wendy Gee

TOM Jordan won't be short of a travelling companion after completing his signing for Blue Square South outfit Eastleigh this week.

Also new in at the Silverlake Stadium is former Weymouth left-back Trevor Challis who, like Jordan, will commute to Stoneham Lane from the Bristol area.

Challis, a no-nonsense 32-year-old left-back formerly with QPR, Bristol Rovers, Telford and Shrewsbury, was part of John Hollins's summer clearout at the Wessex Stadium.

His forthright style made him a firm favourite with the Terras fans and, like centre-back Ashley Vickers who joined Eastleigh from Weymouth last season, his determination to win is legendary.

Jason Tindall, the ex-Weymouth player-manager, once commented, "One thing with Trevor is you know what you are going to get week in, week out.

PROMOTION PUSH

"He is like Ashley Vickers - he would put his head in front of a train if it passed him."

Towering centre-back Jordan, who has finally put pen to paper for Eastleigh after months of wrangling with Havant & Waterlooville, is confident the arrival of players like himself and Challis will give the Spitfires the added steel they need for a BS South promotion push.

"I watched Eastleigh a few times last year and I've been aware of their progress through the leagues," said the 27-year-old son of Portsmouth coach and ex-Saints striker, Joe Jordan.

"Ambition is what it's all about for me and I know that the other lads who have come here are very ambitious as well. Everyone wants to take that extra step up.

“I know the players here at Eastleigh and a lot of them have experienced promotion in the past with the likes of Weymouth.

“With the players we’ve got and the new faces Ian is bringing in, we have the spine of a team that is capable of doing very well.

“We’ve got to focus on making a good, quick start to the season and getting points on the board early.

“The playing staff here will be very strong and competitive.”

Eastleigh are still in negotiations with Braintree Town about the signing of young striker James Baker.

“We’ve agreed a deal, but the lad is under 24 and we can’t agree a compensation figure,” Baird confirmed yesterday.


“We’ve made Braintree a good offer, which they have turned down, and we are still trying to negotiate.”

Andy Forbes, the Spitfires’ perennial top scorer, is booked in for a hernia operation in the first week of July.