RETURNING Andy Harris will do everything he can to help get Weymouth back on its feet again, following the club’s relegation from the Blue Square Premier.

The experienced midfielder, who helped the Terras win promotion to non-League’s top-flight in 2005-06, has been devastated by the club’s recent fall from grace and is now desperate to get to work in its fight for survival.

Weymouth’s financial situation remains fragile but with Ian Ridley and his local consortium at the helm, and Matty Hale and Andy Tillson holding the managerial reins, Harris is confident the club can turn the corner and move forward once again.

He said: “I have been at Eastleigh the last three years but when they offered me a contract at the end of last season I declined their offer because I was getting fed up with all the travelling and to be honest I just wanted to get back to Weymouth.

“I was well aware of the situation at the club and I just wanted to play my part so I spoke to Ian Ridley before Matty Hale had even been appointed, and told him that I would be available if and when the new manager comes in.

“As soon as Matty was unveiled he then contacted me and said he wanted me on board and after that there was never really a decision to make.

“Matty and Andy Tillson both have a good reputation in the coaching and development of younger players and I thought I could come in as a senior pro and help them try and achieve what they want to achieve.

“It has all been a bit of a whirlwind really but I have lived in the town the last four years and seen what has happened at the club and I desperately want to help get it back on track again.

“The new consortium that has come in is trying to stabilise the club and even at the moment it is still touch and go.

“If the town lost the club it would be an absolute travesty. I have got children and to think of them not having a local team to go and support would be just terrible.

“That is why the club is now trying to build from the bottom again. It is going to be a tough process but with a lot of hard work hopefully it will lead to a lot greater stability in the future both on and off the pitch.”

Harris was very much a fans’ favourite in his first spell at the Terras and he will always be remembered for scoring the dramatic equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest in the first round of the FA Cup in November 2005.

That goal proved a very lucrative one for the club and led to a televised replay at the Wessex Stadium, which attracted a crowd of 6,500.

Forest won 2-0 but it was a memorable evening and although Harris knows he is walking into a very different situation this time around he is hopeful that the club can start enjoying life once again after months of uncertainty.

He added: “I cannot wait to get back out there again in front of the club’s fans. The first year I came here was absolutely fantastic. I came down and joined a great side, which went on to capture the Conference South title and have a great run in the FA Cup.

“Obviously things are a lot different this time, and is something I will approach with a bit more trepidation.

“You see when I first came here I was a bit of an unknown quantity but now I have lived in the town for four years and know a lot more people that follow and support the club.

“That is something I am going to have to get used to but I see it as all part of the challenge and I will be working as hard as I can for them and the club, to ensure we can all start moving in the right direction again.”

Harris certainly has a wealth of non-League experience and he is under no illusions about what his role at the club will be over the coming season.

He said: “After I left Weymouth in 2006, I then moved to Eastleigh and had three good seasons where we just missed out on the play-offs twice, so I know everything about the Conference South and what is required.

“The financial restraints at Weymouth dictates that the majority of the lads that will be coming in will be younger players looking to cut their teeth at this level so it will be up to people like myself to pass on my knowledge and experience.

“Having worked as a coach with the club’s academy I will hopefully be able to play a part on both sides of it. But it will be on the pitch where I will be most required, in terms of providing a cool and experienced head that can help the younger players pull through when we find ourselves up against it.”