AFC Totton
jimmy ball
First Team MANAGER
Jimmy Ball joined the Stags from EFL League Two club Stevenage, where he was the Assistant Manager to former Southampton player Paul Tisdale from January 2022.
In his previous role as Interim Manager at Forest Green Rovers, he took them to the semi-finals of the League Two Promotion Play-Offs, having previously coached their Under-18s.
The son of England 1966 World Cup-winner Alan Ball, he was a player in the youth academies of Exeter City and Southampton during his father’s managerial stints at the two clubs, before playing for BAT Sports. He moved into coaching at Christchurch, before joining the backroom staff at Portsmouth and moving on to Dublin-based League of Ireland club, Shelbourne. After a spell in the United States, Jimmy returned to England to coach in the academies at Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City. He joined Forest Green Rovers in April 2021.
Jimmy's role at AFC Totton involves overseeing all of the club’s football operations, in addition to managing the First Team, who he guided to one of the most successful seasons in their 137-year history in 2022/23. In addition to winning the Southern League Div.1 South and the Champion of Champions Super Cup against their Div.1 Central counterparts Berkhamsted, his team also beat Sholing 3-0 at St. Mary's Stadium to complete a trophy treble while also retaining the SDFA Southampton Senior Cup they'd won during the first three months of the manager's reign in the previous season.
Jimmy Ball is sponsored by Garmin.
JAMES BEATTIE
Director OF Football
James Scott Beattie, born 27 February 1978 in Lancaster, Lancashire, is a former England international striker with 443 league appearances and 131 goals in a career that included spells at Blackburn Rovers, Southampton, Everton, Sheffield United, Stoke City, Rangers, Blackpool, and Accrington Stanley. He earned five senior England caps in 2003 and also represented the under-21s.
After retiring as a player, Beattie moved into coaching and management, beginning as player-manager at Accrington Stanley before working as a first-team coach alongside Garry Monk at Swansea City, Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Birmingham City, and Sheffield Wednesday, later serving as Assistant Manager at Wigan Athletic until November 2022.
Holding a UEFA Pro Licence, he was appointed Director of Football at AFC Totton in May 2024, tasked with overseeing talent recruitment, scouting, and implementing a whole-club professionalisation plan while supporting manager Jimmy Ball. Drawing on his elite-level experience, Beattie has brought high standards and structure to the non-league environment.
James is sponsored by Garmin.
steve hollick
goalkeeping coach
Steve played as a goalkeeper for Bashley, Totton & Eling and Romsey Town before retiring and becoming Goalkeeper Coach at AFC Totton for the first time in 2013.
He became the Stags' Caretaker Manager in March 2015 and was given the job on a permanent basis a month later. His reign in the hot seat latest for 18 months, though he later returned to the Club as Goalkeeper Coach under Louis Langdown.
In the summer of 2019, Steve joined the former Leicester City and Portsmouth striker Steve Claridge's management team at Salisbury FC, before returning to the Snows Stadium in February 2022 for a fourth spell.
Steve Hollick is available for Management Team Sponsorship.
RILEY LANGDOWN
1st team physio
Riley Langdown is a dedicated and driven sports therapist, currently in the final year of an MSc in Physiotherapy at the University of Chichester. A graduate of Bournemouth University (2023) with a degree in Sports Therapy, Riley brings both academic knowledge and hands-on experience to his role in sports injury management and rehabilitation.
He has worked with a number of professional football clubs, including Eastleigh FC, Southampton FC, and Portsmouth FC, gaining valuable experience in fast-paced, high-performance environments. Riley holds a Level 4 ITMMiF qualification (Immediate Trauma Medical Management in Football), completed with The FA in January 2024, enabling him to provide pitch-side support and emergency care during matches and training.
His clinical strengths include injury diagnosis, manual therapy, and tailored exercise prescription to support athletes through recovery and performance optimisation
Riley is sponsored by Garmin.
Harry Brookwell
Kit Manager
Formerly a youth player at Southampton, Harry had been out of the game for several years before he began to assist then-Stags boss Dan Sackman during the First Team’s training sessions and on matchdays in 2021/22. He was also a member of the AFC Totton Sunday squad that achieved a League & Cup Double, which included a cameo appearance at left-back in the Final of the Southampton Sunday Senior Cup at the Snows Stadium in May 2022.
Jimmy Ball invited Harry to continue as a member of his backroom team, and he took over as Kit Manager from the long-serving Adam Laurenson, who had to accommodate new work commitments, in time for the 2022/23 season.
Studying for his UEFA Coaching Licences, Harry has taken on coaching responsibilities for various teams throughout the Club, including the new-look Sunday side, the FA Youth Cup team that was drawn from several Young Stags teams, and operating as a Caretaker-Manager for Totton & Eling during a managerial reshuffle.
Using Macron's online portal, Harry designed the kits that AFC Totton will wear throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
Harry Brookwell is sponsored by Mike Geddes.
LOUIS LANGDOWN
head of sports science
Louis Langdown is a sports scientist, performance coach, and football manager whose career seamlessly spans both academia and the football pitch. As a Senior Lecturer and MSc Sport Science & Performance Coaching course leader at Southampton Solent University, he plays a key role in shaping future practitioners.
He began his career as an early match analyst with ProZone at Crystal Palace FC,
stressing that “context is king” in football analytics.
In football management, he notably served as manager of AFC Totton for four seasons,
where he built a strong support staff, enhanced the club’s professionalism, and
delivered standout moments like a dramatic 5-2 comeback victory over Paulton Rovers
and progression in the Hampshire Senior Cup before stepping down following the season’s
cancellation due to the pandemic.
He also held a stint as assistant manager at Weymouth FC and continues his contribution
to the field as a director at Stay in the Game Ltd, advancing sports science, analysis, and
coaching in bothpractical and educational arenas.
Louis is sponsored by Garmin.
BEN WELLS
Head analyst
Ben Wells is a dedicated performance analyst with a strong academic and practical background in sports science and football. He graduated from the University of Exeter with a degree in Sports Science, where he gained valuable experience working with Exeter City FC. Building on this foundation, he completed a master’s degree in Sports Performance Analysis at the University of Chichester, developing expertise in applied analysis, data interpretation, and performance reporting.
Ben undertook an internship with Reading FC for the 2024/25 season, where he was involved in providing analytical support to coaches and players, helping to enhance performance through video and data-driven insights. His professional interests include performance monitoring, opposition analysis, and the integration of technology in elite sport.
With experience across both academic and professional environments, Ben brings a combination of technical skill, applied knowledge, and a passion for football performance analysis.
