Hall joins Roms revolution

Former Portsmouth star and Jamaican international Paul Hall has joined the coaching team at Romulus, writes Andy Mitchell.

In a shake-up at the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League First Division South Roms, long-serving manager Richard Evans has brought in Hall, pictured, as first team coach with Dave Barnett stepping up to become his joint manager.

The 40-year-old former Pompey, Coventry City and Walsall forward returns to the game after a year out following after his spell as assistant manager at Mansfield Town when they reached the FA Trophy Final.

Hall, who was also coach at Tamworth during the Lambs run to the FA Cup's Third Round, really made his name after receiving the call to represent the Reggae Boys at the 1998 World Cup. His displays in France earned him a £300,000 move to then Premier League Coventry City and he later helped Walsall win promotion to football's second tier.

He eventually made more than 500 appearances in the Football League, scoring over 100 goals, and says he's relishing the task ahead at the second from bottom Roms.

He said: "This will be the biggest challenge of my life. People may look at that and think it is a strange thing to say with some of the highlights I have had in my career, but that has gone and it is all about now.

"The league position means the lads can't be very happy at the moment, but that is a good thing, you don't want people who are happy to be down there struggling. We need to create a good atmosphere because wherever I have had success there has always been that togetherness."

Hall, who's already got to work after attending his first training session on Thursday, added: "Everyone was very welcoming and it was quite relaxed. I have always considered myself to be one of the lads and I respect these players in the same way I would respect the top players I have played with.

"There are some familiar faces in the squad that I have come across before and we are all in it together. We just need to try and improve what we have done already. We need to make ourselves hard to beat again.

"We'll set our own targets amongst ourselves but you have to be realistic and remember that we are here for the long term, to build the team and get everyone doing the right things."