Alfie Eve is again making his presence felt in the PHC clubhouse.

Eve, who guided the Zebras to numerous titles after taking over from mentor Leroy (Nibs) Lewis before retiring in the mid 1990s, recently returned to his former club to assist coach Mark Wade.

PHC are seeking to erase last season's painful memories in which they lost to Devonshire Colts in the Martonmere Cup final and were relegated to the First Division, only three seasons after triumphantly returning to the top flight and clinching the league championship.

Now, Eve and Wade want to pick up the pieces and get the club back on an even keel.

"I guess once a coach always a coach," said Eve, commenting on his new role at the club. "And, of course, with PHC being my team I was prepared to do anything I could to help them. But it's just a matter of getting used to everything all over again, like getting to know the players and understanding what makes them tick."

Eve is a seasoned veteran with over 30 years coaching experience, and perhaps half that amount of titles tucked under his belt.

"We have a good core and hopefully with the ideas that I have and the willingness of the players we will be in great shape," he added. "Having coached at the international and domestic levels in the past, I think I still have something left to offer the game.

"Hopefully the players will respond to the things that I try to do with them. But I am there to help get everything organised and hopefully we are looking towards a speedy return to the Premier Division. I just thought it was the right thing to do and basically I felt that I could offer my help by assisting Mark."

Eve added: "It's always nice to see someone you have worked with come along and take over and coaching is an individual thing. So I don't expect Mark to do things the way that I did because he's an individual."

Wade, who previously played under Eve during the magical 1980s and early 1990s, is looking forward to working alongside his former mentor.

"I am looking forward to drawing on some of his experiences," he said. "Obviously he brings many years of experience to the team and at the moment the vibe in training and around the club is very good."

Eve's arrival couldn't have come at a better time and it's certain he will have a large say in finding the right players to fill the void created by the departures of Stanton Lewis, Otis Steede, Stefan Dupres and the unavailability this season of defender Johnny Ball who is away at school.

Also returning to the club is former Southampton Rangers, North Village and Somerset Trojan player Sheridan (Baldy) Ming, who, like Eve, brings years of experience. Kenny Mills, meanwhile, has reportedly had a change of heart and is expected to play for the club this season.