CORSHAM Town’s new manager Nigel Tripp is looking to focus on youth development after being announced as Jeff Roberts’ replacement.

With Roberts replacing John Fisher as manager of Hellenic League Premier Division side Highworth Town next season, Tripp will take the reins at Southbank from next term.

Corsham finished their league campaign at the weekend with a 3-0 defeat away to Wellington in the First Division.

Tripp, who is currently manager at Wiltshire League side Chippenham Park Development, has plenty of experience at this level having managed Calne Town, Melksham Town and Westbury United as well as playing in the Southern League and is fully aware of the challenges awaiting him.

“I am quite excited and it will be nice to get back into it,” he said.

“I have done everything in the county from under eights to adult football and I have experience at every level apart from the Conference.

“I am a big believer in giving youngsters a chance.

“The club want to go that way and I think there are some good players about that I don’t think managers take a chance with.

“Sometimes you have got to go backwards to go forwards and the club are keen to get local lads involved and give the youngsters an opportunity and develop a club as much as a team.

“If you get the local lads there then you generally get a better team spirit and their parents and friends coming to watch so the club becomes a bit more buoyant.

“I’m ambitious and the club is ambitious but you have got to be realistic and you have got to start somewhere.

“It will be nice to get involved with youngsters because you have an influence on them.”

However, Tripp has the task of finishing his Wiltshire League campaign with Chippenham Park Development with a Fountain Trophies Senior Knockout Cup final this Saturday against Wroughton.

“It would be sad to go because a lot of my playing days were at Chippenham,” he added.

“There are some good players there who could be playing at a higher level but it hasn’t quite worked out the way I would have liked to.

“Being third in line, you are third in the pecking order when it comes to the decision making.

“At least when I go to Corsham any decisions will be mine and you live and die by your decisions.”