David Altendorff has swooped for the sensational double capture of Whitehawk’s prolific forward Ben Pope and Bognor Regis centre half Danny Howick.

Pope will be a familiar name to many supporters in the Sussex football circuit, having represented Lewes, Worthing, Burgess Hill, Hastings and most recently Whitehawk FC. He has scored goals wherever he has been and is sure to add more firepower and experience to Altendorffs attacking options for the remainder of the season.

“This really is an incredible coup and one that is sure to excite the fans and generate a lot of noise externally. It is a real indication that we are doing a lot of things right at the club that we are able to attract a player of Ben’s calibre, and on a personal note I am absolutely thrilled to be working with him again”.

Howick has made 12 appearances for the Rocks in the Isthmian Premier division this season, and the highly rated young defender is someone that Altendorff feels ticks a lot of boxes.

“Danny is a smashing lad with a great temperament and character. He is versatile and can comfortably play anywhere across the back four. He is an aggressive, committed and brave defender with excellent leadership qualities. Danny is a very good footballer and his attributes will enable us to be more flexible from a tactical point of view. I’m sure he will slot straight in with the other players in the dressing room too”.

When asked if there will be anymore changes to the current playing squad Altendorff had this today say:

“No that’s it, we are done now. Unless we suddenly have an unexpected injury crisis or something similar with availability issues then we are very content with the playing squad we’ve got for the rest of the season. We began the year, like a lot of clubs, with around 25 players. That number has gradually dissipated to just 16 outfield having lost players such as Dan Hull, James Hull, Kyle Sim and Callum Dowdell as well as long term injuries to the likes of Henry Watson. Therefore, we felt it was vitally important to add in at least two more bodies to give us enough cover and importantly, of course, competition for places. Nevertheless, we didn’t want to bring in just anybody. It had to be players that suited our style of play and the profile of player we want here in terms of age, skill set, personality and proximity to the ground. The two lads we’ve just brought in both live in Brighton, very close to Culver Road, which is consistent with our ‘all-Sussex’ recruitment policy this season. This has helped to facilitate a really strong dressing room and togetherness and ensured the standards in training remain high.”

With as many as 8 matches in January alone, it is likely that Altendorff is going to need to call upon all 18 of this tight knit group for the remainder of the season as the club continue to push for an unlikely play off position.

If you would like to see Ben and Danny in action and give them a warm reception, the first team host league leaders Ramsgate today at 3pm.