Winchester City Flyers are delighted to announce the appointment of Pete Hamilton (pictured left) as the new Reserve Team Manager, who joins from Gosport Borough.

Hamilton joins following successful campaigns at Bursledon and AFC Portchester and takes over from Jake Hodge, who stepped down earlier this month.

Bursledon was Hamilton’s first managerial role in the women’s game in the 2021/22 season, where, after a season, he moved across to AFC Portchester as joint manager alongside Mark Duggan.

While he only spent a year with Portchy, it brought a trophy as they won the Hampshire County Women’s Division One title in 2022/23 and were promoted to the Southern Region Division One South.

Following that triumph, Hamilton returned to Bursledon as manager and won the Division with the Southampton-based side.

In their first season in the Southern Region, Bursledon finished fifth and reached the first round of the Women’s FA Cup for the first time.

On his appointment, Hamilton said: “When Tony called and asked me to come on board, he outlined his vision for the reserve team and the club as a whole, and it immediately excited me.

“Speaking with Emma (Pearmine) also gave me a real sense of what the club is about. It felt like a very good fit, so I am really excited to get started”

The 41-year-old boasts over 20-years of coaching experience across the men’s and women’s game and holds the UEFA B licence.

“My coaching journey began with managing my local Sunday League team before moving into coaching and management within non-league football,” he reflected.

“I wanted to broaden my knowledge and experience, so around six years ago I made the move into the women’s game.

“I have enjoyed it immensely and have never looked back.”

Joining Hamilton in the dugout is Ross Betteridge (pictured right), the pair have worked together for many years within the men’s game.

Betteridge is a UEFA C holder, and after spending the second half of last season with Hamilton at Gosport, they will link up again, with the former joining as Reserves Assistant Manager.

The new boss is ready to put his team to the test, outlining what he’s looking to bring to the role and the challenges ahead.

He said: “Ross and I will bring plenty of passion and enthusiasm to our respective roles, along with a strong desire to be the best we can be.

“We want to create a positive but demanding environment that challenges the players and helps drive the team forward.

“Our goals are straightforward: to develop as many players as possible and help them progress into first-team football, while also competing for promotion to Tier 6 through strong and consistent performances in the league.”